Case Closed: Returning the Missing One Piece
by Blade of Hellfire
Summary: Conan escaped back to his world, but is far from recovered. Suffering from PTSD, he hasn't solved a case in months, living life around him in paranoia and indifference, and focuses all his attention on helping Sabo get back to his world. But when the Black Organization takes over Japan, Conan must jump head first into the action. It's all or nothing, in this long awaited battle.
1. Coming Home

**YOO! It's finally here! My Case ClosedxOne Piece sequel! I hope you guys like it! As a reminder, this is set in the Case Closed world, and I'm using their English names because it's what I'm used to. I apologize for it being so short, but I promise the next chapters will be longer! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece or Case Closed**

_ "ZWEHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Blackbeard swung the blade down; the detective felt the blood drain out of his body. "ZWEHAHAHAHA!"_

Conan bolted upright in a cold sweat. Breathing hard, he looked desperately at his surroundings; barren walls, normal futon, several books and paperwork scattered, and the room was dark. Sighing in relief, the boy realized he was in his room at Rachel's apartment.

"HAHAHAHA! That's killer! YES! That's good comedy!" Sweat-dropping, Conan quickly realized that laughing was coming from Rachel's father; the idiot had the TV on too loud and was laughing his ass off. Conan growled and threw himself back down against the futon, trying to get back to sleep. Ever since he had gotten back, he had very bad sleep deprivation; with night-terrors and flashbacks. He jumped at the slightest sound, and found himself more paranoid than ever before; in fact…he hadn't been out of his room in three days. The boy knew he was suffering from PTSD, but his questions was: how long was it going to last? Days? Weeks? Months? He had started having these sessions a few days after he got back.

Conan growled, he felt pathetic. Here he was, back in his world, safe and sound, and he was still worrying about devil fruits, and pirates coming to sneak up on him in the dead of night. He didn't understand it. He had close calls before, so why was this case so bad? He had plenty of brushes with death, and yet…he was still fearing something that had already passed. He hadn't solved a mystery since he got back; too distracted by mice squeaking and lights flickering. As much as the boy hated to admit it, he had to take a break from detective work, or he'd go insane.

Taking a breath, he rolled on to his side, trying to get back to sleep. Even though he was back, this sure as hell didn't feel like home.

**The Next Morning**

After Rachel had gone to school, Conan snuck out past the hung-over Detective Moore, and headed outside. He had been skipping elementary school for the past two weeks, and had been getting in trouble with Rachel, her dad, and even with Anita. He snorted, she was the last person he wanted to hear from right now. Going to his usual park bench, he hid behind it and waited for a security guard to walk by. He sighed and waited for his companion. This had become habit for the past week.

"Did I keep you waiting?" Conan turned to the familiar voice and sighed with relief. A man in a cheap blue business suit and a top hat approached him.

"No. Thank you for coming Sabo-san." Conan nodded in gratitude as the man sat down beside him. "How are you adapting to life in the big city?"

"It's not really adapting. Keep in mind, I did live in a big city like this before." He smiled.

"Ah." The boy nodded. "Thank you for coming here…I…didn't think it'd be this hard."

"When I got my memories back; handling the whole thing mentally was hell. I obviously don't know exactly what you're going through, but…I can guess. The questioning stares, second-guessing yourself, loss of confidence, and…the nightmares. It took me awhile to come to terms with what happened to me too." Sabo explained.

"…Does it ever get easier?" Conan asked quietly.

"Eventually. You probably won't stop questioning your sanity for awhile, but…for the fact that you and I are here, talking about the world you went to, I'd say we're not as crazy as we think. It was just four weeks ago we talked into a Den Den Mushi." Sabo laughed.

"Feels like a lifetime." Conan muttered.

"I know right?" Sabo laughed. "Still…Tokyo's expensive though; I'm gonna have to go back to the island soon if it's all right with you."

"…That's not a bad idea. I could use a change of scenery myself." Conan replied.

"Ah. Forgot to mention; little kids running away from their problems aren't invited." The blonde frowned. "Look, I came with you for moral support, and your parents and Serena-san's family have been kind enough to provide for my lodging, but the truth is I'm just mooching off them and I don't like it. It's been two months and three weeks Edogawa…or do you prefer Ku-"

"Don't!" Conan snapped. "Don't…mention my name out loud…please."

"Fine. But in all seriousness…what would you actually gain by running away? What would I gain from staying here? You've settled in, my job's done." Sabo said logically. "There's no reason for me to stay here."

"I can talk to Agasa!" Conan blurted. Sabo blinked down at the detective. "I can talk to Agasa about your world! Maybe…he could find a way to send you back!"

"Maybe. That might have been a possibly had you told the truth." Sabo replied.

"What was I supposed to say?! 'Hi Rachel, I just came back from a different world with no proof, with this random person I met up with just now!' Wake up! They would've accused you of kidnap and child endangerment; they' would've thought you brainwashed me!" Conan snapped up at him.

"You never take the chance to trust anyone but yourself, Edogawa, that's why you're in this mess now!" Sabo snapped back at him.

"What was I supposed to do?!" Conan yelled, tears streamed down his face and slowly fell into Sabo's shoulder. "What was I supposed to do…?"

"I don't know." Sabo rubbed the younger boy's head. "But the past is the past, and you can't change it. Now you need to decide what you're going to do from here. Hell, what we're both going to do from here."

"What are your plans, Sabo-san?" The detective sat back down and composed himself.

"Honestly…if Agasa-san ends up not being a help, buy a sailboat and travel the world. That's what I wanted to do as a pirate; I don't plan on giving up that dream." Sabo explained.

"You wouldn't miss your home world?" The detective rose a brow.

"No, I definitely would. But I wouldn't let that stop me from moving on." Sabo explained. "You need to move on too Conan, but the only way you can move on is if you face the present head-on. Tell someone the truth, at least a little bit of the truth."

"I guess that's not a bad idea. I just…don't know where to start." Conan sighed.

"With the story or the person?" Sabo clarified.

"Either really." The younger answered.

"I see. You're skipping school again aren't yah?" The blue man move on from the topic.

"Even in high school I wasn't mentally stimulated, how do you think I feel in a kindergarten class?" Conan muttered. "So you'll stay longer?"

"Only if you tell Agasa-san. Otherwise, I'm buying a sail boat and supplies, and I'm off." Sabo said firmly. "You have two days from now."

"Fair enough." Conan sighed. "Do I look as awful as I feel right now?"

"Let's see…dark circles under the eyes, messy hair, and smelly…no you look pristine!" The older laughed.

"Hardy, har, har….jeez…I can't believe it's only been three months since all that happened." Conan sighed.

RING! RING!

Sighing in annoyance, Conan pulled out his cellphone and saw that it was Anita calling him. He raised a brow, normally she'd be in school. Answering, he spoke. "Yeah?"

"Edogawa! Get your butt down to Agasa's lab now! You've gotta see what's on TV!" The girl's voice screamed at him.

"I'm coming!" Snapping his phone shut. He turned to Sabo. "Sorry, there's an emergency down at Agasa's, I've gotta go!"

"Got it! See you again tomorrow Conan!" Sabo waved.

**20min Later**

Panting, Conan slammed the door to Agasa's lab open where he saw the good doctor and Anita, waiting for him impatiently. "So what's the big emergency?"

Tossing the boy the remote, Anita pointed to the muted screen. "Look for yourself."

Unmuting the volume, Conan turned it up, and his eyes practically bugged out through his glasses. He couldn't believe it!

_"So House of council Akita Prefecture representative, Masaba Onogoa-sama…what are your plans for Japan if you become Prime Minister?" The TV host asked._

_ "Oh that's very simple…Shigaku-sama." A beautiful woman with dark brown-orange hair spoke; her figure was beautiful, her voice was sultry, and had the glasses that would make James Bond drop his pants. "My goal as Prime Minister would not only be to revolutionize Japan as a country, but to combine our country with more resources than ever before. The only way for us to reclaim economic dominance over the world is if new implantations are tried."_

_ "I see." The TV host, Shigaku responded. "How do you feel about being the only female candidate in history to run for this position? What do you feel like your odds of winning are?"_

Conan held his breath at the next answer the woman gave.

_"Oh trust me…" The woman took off her glasses, revealing some of her face. "It's practically been decided already."_

Anita cringed in anger at the woman on the screen; Vermouth had never looked uglier.

**Review please! Let me know if you have any questions!**


	2. Consequences of Procrastination

**Yo! Second chapter is up and I hope you like it! Also, there are some misconceptions that I need to clear up. I hope you guys remain excited for this sequel, and I hope this doesn't deter you in any way. **

**First and foremost, this story is set in the CASE CLOSED world, there will be no One Piece characters involved unless if it's a flashback or towards the end, excluding Sabo of course. Also, the Black Organization DOES NOT have devil fruits, nor will they be getting any. I'm not sure where that idea came up, but it's not the case at all. I promise you that their technology and weapons are going to be badass, but no devil fruits.**

**I apologize if this is disappointing any of you, but it is what it is, and later on, you'll see why.**

**Without further ado: read, enjoy, and review!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Case Closed, One Piece, or any of the companies referenced**

Conan couldn't believe what he was seeing; just what the hell was going on?! "Agasa-san, why's Vermouth on that program!"

"Running for Prime Minister obviously! Haven't you been paying attention?!" Anita yelled. "Just what have you been doing for the past month?! It's been all over the news for weeks!"

"It has?" Conan repeated steadily.

"Yes! Why do you think I was trying to call you for the past two weeks!" Anita yelled.

"This has been going on for two weeks?" Conan's eyes widened.

"Yes! GOD! Where have you been for heaven's sake! Ever since you got back-"

"Now, now Anita…this won't help." Agasa sighed and turned to the small detective. "Vermouth has been campaigning for the past two months, but for the past two weeks she's been extremely proactive."

"I-It's not a big deal." Conan breathed, slowly. "T-The Black Organization isn't used to working in daylight like this; they specializing in operating outside the system. There's no way Vermouth can win…"

"You've really been out of the loop, haven't you Kudo?" The girl said haughtily. "Not only have you not been solving cases, you've also been ignoring the world. Take a look!" Throwing a newspaper at him, Conan peered at the headline. His eyes bugged out- Japan aligned itself with Greece!

**At the TV Station- Live in Japan**

Shigaku, the network host, stared at the woman in front of in astonishment. "So, Masaba-san…two weeks ago you finalized the most historical alliance in Japanese history- aligning Japan with Greece. So tell us Masaba-san…our viewers want to know exactly what this means."

"What part of the deal needs explaining, Shigaku-san?" She asked.

"Well as you know…Greece is financially handicapped at the moment, and many of your opponents worry about your radical tactics. Not only are breaking tradition, but many of your supporters are also worried about the financial strain Italy will bring to Japan. So please tell us…how will Japan benefit in its relationship to Greece?"

"Well Shigaku-san it's quite simple." She adjusted her glasses. "While it's true that Greece is indeed in financial decline, that doesn't change the fact that they're a country rich in resources and superior goods. The Lamborghini automobile is only an example; they're extremely rich in resources, minerals, food, beverages, and most of all their advanced technology in automobiles and machinery. They're superior in delivering top-quality goods despite the financial hardships they're facing. Like Japan, they too understand the need for quality during these troubled times."

"I see. But that still doesn't explain what Japan will gain in this relationship, Masaba-san."

"First of all, Japan will break into a European market outside of Britain and France. This opens up relationship possibilities outside of the United States partnerships. Now, we definitely want to keep our relationship with the United States, however we also want to open up doors with other countries that they aren't aligned with. This gives us more flexibility, better access to resources, as well as increased status in the international community." She explained pleasantly. "By aligning ourselves with Greece, Japan's economy gets additional resources it so desperately needs."

"Which is?" The TV host asks.

"The Automobile Industry; Niisan, Toyota, Honda, Mitsubishi, and Subaru will all get the upgrades they so desperately need since the economy crash in 2008. This will increase employment, minimum wage, and raise the house-hold income in exactly one year. We have even started preparing over 500,000 employment positions from graduating college seniors to elderly who can't afford to retire." The woman smiled at the man's astonished face. "You see Shigaku-san, Japan is in a very fragile state right now, just like Greece; so by one crutch propping up the other, we rise up a stronger and more unified nation. In fact, we have industries currently benefiting from the union, as shown by these results."

The lights went out, and a graph was shown on the wall. On the horizontal line, it showed various Japanese companies, each bigger than the next; on the vertical line it showed an amount of money starting with $2 million, all the way up to $15 million. The companies on the graph included the car companies mentioned, followed by Sony, Fujitsu, and Pasona. "As you can see, each company has profited considerably from this endeavor; including increased profit and sales, international trade, increased wages, increased hours, and finally new employment opportunities."

"Wow…I'm very sorry for ever doubting you, Masaba-sama." The TV anchor stood up and bowed humbly to the woman.

"It's fine Shigaku-san…this is a very radical route, and I am the first woman to ever run for Prime Minister, so it's only natural to feel some friction." She smiled.

"Yes! Well- up next: Ondo Yoko! Everyone's favorite pop idol!" The TV host announced.

**Agasa's Lab**

Switching the TV off, the scientist turned to the miniature detective, still staring at the front page of the newspaper in shock. Not only had Vermouth aligned Japan with Greece, they made a completely successful partnership! How was this possible. "I-I don't understand. H-How is this happening?!"

"Just because you disappeared for a month, then come back and turn your brain off for an additional three, doesn't mean the world stops spinning! We needed you a month ago on this case, and you-"

"That's enough, Haiabara." Agasa sighed. "Kudo, ever since you've returned you haven't been yourself, so you've missed quite a few things. I've never known you to miss local and international news. Nor…have I ever known you to pass up a case."

"I know I haven't been solving cases, but…I…" Conan ran a hand threw his hair. "Really...I have been out of touch lately haven't I?"

"That's not all. They've also talking deals with Croatia, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Bosnia, Egypt, Libya, Mexico, and China." Haiabara pointed out.

"That's pretty ambitious. But what's the point of going after such weak economies, excluding China?" Conan asked.

"Agreed. Internationally speaking, Japan's status isn't over the top, but it's by no means low on the tier list." Agasa agreed. "Anita-chan…what do you think?"

Sipping some tea she made, she put on a thoughtful face. "It's true what they say: there are strength in numbers. Though it's true that none of these countries are particularly influential other than China of course, Japan could actually use this to its advantage. Politically speaking, Japan would most likely use the smallest and poorest countries as stepping stones to rise up, and would end with their finale being with China."

"Sounds like a plausible strategy, but the only question is: why is the Black Organization doing this? They do all their business underground, so why are they choosing to come out publicly?" Conan pointed out.

"Most likely, yours and Gin-san's absence caused quite a stir in their organization, leading to moments of panic and split-decisions, either way in truth…the Black Organization had always intended to come out into the light under this kind of guise. I just didn't think it'd be this soon; as stated before, yours and Gin-san most likely pushed them to move forward early." Haibara explained.

"So you're not surprised by this at all, are you Haibara-san?" Conan figured.

"No. They would come into the light as high-ranking politicians, because they obviously do have live connections to the Diet, but I didn't think they'd be as bold as to use one of their own as a proxy." The girl answered. "If I were to hypothesize on what their intentions were: I'd say it's revoke Japan's inactive military status."

"Meaning?" The doctor asked anxiously.

"Meaning, that they would destroy the treaty with the United States, and reactivate Japan's hostile military, primarily the Navy obviously." She explained.

"But that's impossible, Japan wouldn't dare break the treaty with the United States;its Japan's greatest international partner." Conan argued.

"Yes, they are, but they have also been getting frustrated with the United States due to the importing and exporting going down due to the economy, and the bitterness has continued as that America has begun to rely on China more and more." The genius girl countered. "China and Japan have always been rivals in the trading business, and the cultural similarities don't help anything,"

"What are you saying, Haiabara?" Conan felt his anxiety levels grow.

"The Black Organization always spoke of how they were going to reveal themselves to the public as soon as they were ready to change the world. I'm not sure if Vermouth acting as a politician is what they had in mind or not, but it's a definite step forward for them. They always spoke about how it had to start in Japan, and would end with cutting everyone's binds in the world." She explained. "But the only way to free Japan from it's sense of duty is to cut it's biggest chain."

"Y-You're kidding…" There was no way the genius girl was correct. "To do that, that means they'd have to cut all ties with the US! How could they do that when they depend on them so heavily for imports and exports?! The economies are crucial to the other!"

"That's the nice thing about China, they're closer to us and they make just about everything in their country. Not to mention, they are not fond of the USA either, and will not likely stand behind the country as it will find itself alone. So in other words…" She trailed off.

"They plan to knock the states off their pedestal, but how can they do that? These sound like pretty long term goals, don't they?" Agasa pointed out.

"You forget how meticulous the Black Organization is, they never strike until they're certain their ready. I'd theorize that they have already made deals with at least half those countries, may be more. But their checkmate will no undoubtedly be China." Haibara concluded. "So with the U.N.'s blessing, they can continue to provide charity alliances to the minor countries in Europe, which would lead China into being pressured to align with them, considering most Eastern Asian countries can't afford the import costs to them, Europe's an obvious target." Conan ran his hands through his hair. "Damn it!"

"Indeed. The only question is: what do we do now? Are you still up to trying to stop them, Kudo?" Haiabara observed him carefully.

Clenching his fists, Conan took a deep breath. "I have to get back in the game eventually, better now than never."

**Review please! Let me know if you have any questions!**


	3. What light beyond thy Window

**Hey guys! So the next chapter is here! I'm going outside of Conan's zone, and the story will start rolling in this chapter. Also, I have a ingrained habit of mixing up Japanese and English names of Case Closed characters, because I grew up with the dub, but got introduced to newer characters in the sub. So that's why I'm using some Japanese names with certain characters, and English for others. It's a habit I have yet to drop, so please forgive me.**

**Also, there were several plot points brought to my attention that I need to explain. First and foremost: the reason why the Black Organization does not have devil fruits is because the transaction between them and the Navy was never completed. Basically, Gin was sent to the One Piece universe to retrieve the devil fruits, to ensure that they had a safe trip home, and then to bring the weapons that the BO promised of course. But because of the fight with Conan, the exchange never happened. So the BO never got the devil fruits and the Navy never got their weapons.**

**Secondly, the reason why Haibara knew Gin was there, was because Conan mumbled in his sleep on the trip home. So a lot of people involved at this point know of a 'Gin', but not the Gin that Conan and his company know about.**

**Lastly, there are NO OCs in this story, so I want you to keep this in mind as you are reading this story. Other than tiny, miniscule characters that were just there for filling a character slot (like the TV reporter who interviewed Vermouth) I repeat: NO OCs! So read, enjoy, review!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Case Closed or One Piece**

Eisuke and Hidemi Hondo sat in a café, staring at the two other people sitting across from them. One was a blonde, British boy who was sipping coffee, and the other was an older looking man who was simply letting his tea sit to the aside. While it was completely uncommon for CIA and FBI to collaborate together, especially in a public setting, they didn't really have a choice, considering the circumstances. Yes, this should've been for the history books, James Black, leader of the FBI Unit in Japan was in a Japanese café with his subordinate, Andre Camel, and he was meeting the heirs of the Japanese CIA branch.

Breaking the silence, Eisuke spoke first. "Er…so what was the reason you wanted to meet us, Black-san?"

"Eisuke, don't be intimidated by them. They have an agent sloppy enough to blow the cover of one of their own, after all." Hidemi sipped her own beverage.

Camel snorted. "Coming from the person who was stupid enough to turn into a damsel in distress, causing the death of her father."

"Why you-" Hidemi stood up in anger.

"Ms. Hondo, please." Black stopped her, and glanced at his subordinate. "That's enough, Camel. We didn't come here to fight you, as you two are aware, the CIA and FBI very rarely ever collaborate on projects, so I'd assume the two of you would be more professional about it. Or did your father, leave behind two unworthy heirs?"

"Black-san…we're here because of the Black Organization's recent political actions, correct?" Eisuke broke the tension before his sister could react.

The old man gave a grave sigh. "Yes, even though Edogawa has been recently inactive, the rest of us have been forced to watch those snakes slowly slither their way into power. Vermouth's cover has proved to be most troublesome; with several member of the Diet backing the Black Organization, she was able to gain influence fairly easily."

"Wait, the Black Organization has connections to the Diet?!" Eisuke was shocked.

"With all the weapons and resources at their disposal, I'm surprised you hadn't come to that conclusion sooner, Hondo-san. Not to mention, it was the CIA's discovery of the political connections that caused your organization to become interested in the FBI's project, wasn't it?" The British boy pointed out.

"Still…with all their money, it couldn't just be the Diet, could it?" The clumsy boy argued.

"No it's not, Ototo." His sister spoke. "I've been in deep cover within the organization for several years now. I've collected that the Black Organization has numerous contacts and resources throughout the world, so they are in no short of supply in private contractors. Not to mention, the prestigious families in Japan below the emperor that held their power during the Sengoku era…"

"Ah. They've been supplying the Black Organization for awhile due to their similar interests and ideals." Black agreed.

"I don't get it, if you all know this, why not just arrest them?!" Eisuke asked in outrage.

"Any arrests against the Diet members or noble families in Japan will lead to deres between the United States and Japan, which according to both of our parties' intelligence, is the last thing we need." Camel answered calmly. "These families are backed with money and hiding places, they're not as cut and dry as you would like to think, Hondo-kun. Otherwise, this organization would've been destroyed for killing two of our members."

Eisuke glared, but forced himself to calm down. "So what does this mean, what exactly is the Black Organization's goal then?"

"It's clear that their plan is to destabilize the United States, but what we cannot figure is out is there motive. Up until now, they've been rather quiet on the international front, so it's surprising that they're making such bold moves now. They most likely made these international connections years previously before this campaign, and are simply using those connections to influence each country's government. One by one, each country will fall under the Black Organization's control, or that the very least, become their ally." James said grimly.

"All under the guise of aligning themselves with Japan, but still…if they campaign too aggressively, won't that put the United States on edge too early? I mean, they have to have a lot of time to pull this off, don't they?" Eisuke pointed out.

"They did have time, the years they've spent in the shadows, they're finally showing the results of their work. Also, from the intelligence I've gathered, their goal might be to activate Japan's military, but it seems a bit farfetched if you ask me." Hidemi answered. "However, that doesn't give us any answers to what they may be doing currently. Their original disguise was a pharmaceutical company, so it would be curious if they officially presented any of those age reversal drugs."

"From what we've gathered, they mainly developed those drugs for disguising their appearances; what better way to hide than in plain sight? All they would have to do is change their age, reminds you of just how deceitful appearances can be. The other reason they developed these drugs, we suspect is that they've been selling them to their private benefactors as a fountain of youth serum. So if they have made any presentations, it would've only been for the private parties they're working for." The FBI head explained. "That would make the most sense, especially considering how stubborn old fashioned clan-heads are, and how Japanese youth seem to be more and more reluctant to settle down and have a family."

"Er, well-" Eisuke blushed.

"With Japan's economy, it only makes sense." Hidemi shrugged. "So where does that leave us? We know that the drug was developed for profit and disguise, we know that the ambition of the Black Organization is to economically isolate the United States from their primary export partners, but we still don't know their ultimate goal."

"We're working on it." Camel shrugged. "In the meantime, we need to talk about another concern that we've been observing. After talking with the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, Detective Moore, and Hattori-kun, the conclusion is obvious."

"They're growing power. They've been growing in power for awhile, slowly and steadily, sure…but they're patience is paying off well." Camel muttered. "Just how far does the Black Organization reach?"

"Unknown, but it's enough to make the President stop in his tracks." Hidemi sighed, surprising her brother. "I know this may come as a shock to you, but I have actually been sharing some of this information with the President. If I hadn't, the higher-ups would've stone-walled me, and Japan would've been completely boxed in with those black hounds. I'll most likely be fired after this operation, but…we have assured ourselves a way out, and we have assured ourselves that our nation won't be guided blindfolded, by one hand and the gun in the other."

"So what does the President think?" Eisuke asked carefully.

"Yes, he told me you made him aware of this." Black nodded. "He wants us to stay in Japan for now, but he cannot send us back up. Due to the political litigation and the Senate panicking over the United States possibly being overthrown, the system's in chaos, and won't be organized enough to send help. The President wants us to do whatever it takes to shut the Black Organization down, but obviously doesn't want any evidence that ties with the USA."

"Because the people involved are still connected with the emperor, and the US can't afford to step on cultural toes." Hidemi concluded. "So that means, we're stranded here with each of our teams, with the only weapons we have that are on us, with almost no other resources."

"Combining forces is the obvious route we must take, but we also need to consider involving the local police as well. Hattori Heiji must be recruited, and I also recommend Detective Moore and the rest of his team." Camel suggested. "Which includes, young Edogawa."

"Involving locals is one thing, Camel…but a young boy who is suffering from PTSD?" His boss questioned.

"We don't have a choice, and I find it curious that the Black Organization's behavior changed so drastically at the same time the boy returned." Camel pointed out. "Hondo-kun, you are the closest to the boy here, did you question him at all upon his return?"

"No…I'm afraid I didn't. He was pretty shaken up, you see…he was crying in Ms. Moore's lap the whole time." Though he felt a pang of jealousy remembering that. But the glasses-boy knew that Conan wasn't making a pass at Rachel, those were tears of terror. Whatever happened to the boy, he did not want to talk about.

"I see, and what about the man who found him? Sabo-san, was it?" The British blonde pointed out.

"Yes, I did question Sabo-san, as did Detective Moore and Hattori-san. He was very polite and kept his story consistent throughout the interrogation, he actually volunteered to come back to Japan with Edogawa-kun, since he was the first one who Conan saw after he washed up. Edogawa-kun seems to trust Sabo-san, so we decided to believe Sabo-san, and so far, nothing has contradicted his story." Eisuke explained.

"Which was?" Black asked.

"That he found Conan washed up on the beach near his home, and took him. He was asleep for two days, before he woke up." Eisuke responded.

"On the island of Amami Oshima, off the Ryuku Archipelago?" The Brit confirmed.

"Yes. He's going back in a few days to my understanding. His dream is to sail the world, he told me." Eisuke answered. "Why do you ask?"

"I see." Black sighed. "Camel-kun, please locate Sabo-san…I believe it's time we met this sojourner."

**XXXXXXXXX**

Heji Hattori was not one to believe in people; he refused to call himself bitter, but he refused to believe that any human was completely good. However…he could believe that there were humans out there completely evil, especially with what he had been seeing lately. Hattori cringed as another body of a young woman was cut-up; gang-raped and murdered, another Yakuza blitz attack. He was extremely relieved that Kazuha was well-trained in Aikido; Kudo really needed to pickup a martial art. Speaking of Kudo- dammit! Where the fuck was he?!

"Hattori-kun." Heiji sighed, and turned to face Inspector Joseph Meguire, who also bore a look of foreboding. "You should take a break, this is getting to all of us, and-"

"NO!" The young man shot down the idea before it came out. "I mean…I'm sorry, but…I've never backed out from a case before, and I don't intend to now."

"Still, your father's worried about your health, and when you haven't been solving other cases, you're looking into the Yakuza killings." Meguire sighed. "Look, you and Detective Moore are exhausted, both of you have been out of shape since Edogawa-kun disappeared, and when he finally was found-"

"You don't need to remind me of that! That damned Sabo-teme still pisses me off." He rubbed his head in agitation; things hadn't gone well after Kudo disappeared, but had gotten worse when he returned, it felt like. After his friend disappeared, he and Detective Moore exhausted every ounce of detective energy they had, and eventually called in Jimmy and Heiji's parents. Despite the combined efforts of two detective geniuses, a chief police officer, and an amateur detective, Kudo could not be found. After a week, they had honestly thought the boy had died.

Though Heiji would never admit it, he honestly felt sick to his stomach when his friend disappeared, and couldn't imagine the grief Kudo's parents were feeling at this time. In fact, his parents had actually stopped talking to each other a week after their son disappeared, and in all honesty, Heiji didn't blame them.

Detective Moore had turned to drinking, those kids were depressed, and that genius blonde girl had flat-out stopped talking. No one had any explanation for Kudo's disappearance, which was what made his return all the more frustrating. So as soon as it was deemed appropriate, every detective present available tore into the Tophat-blonde like pitbulls in the interrogation.

But throughout it all, the blonde man said that he was sorry, but he had no further information on Kudo's condition, other than finding him washed up on the beach. When they interrogated him about the size of clothing Conan had, Sabo explained they used to be his old clothes, but had always been too lazy to come to mainland to donate them. Considering he lived primarily on an isolated island, Heiji could understand that.

What was strange was, that Sabo honestly didn't have a good explanation as to why he was living on the island by himself, and even stranger- he didn't have his own boat or ship of any kind. His explanation was as farfetched as his living situation. Apparently, he had no memory of his parents or family, but he had washed up on that island when he was a child. He was well-educated, could read, and could perform above basic mathematics; he wasn't an engineer or anything, but he knew enough to pass a high school proficiency test, which raised Hattori's suspicions further. Not to mention, he declined Agasa's offer to run his DNA through a system scanner to find his parents, he had vehemently refused it actually. Kudo's father was ready to slap the cuffs on him, and honestly wanted to kill the blonde for what happened to his son.

But the younger Jimmy insisted that 'Sabo-nii', as he called him, had saved him and was not involved.

_'Hattori…Dad…I'll tell you guys some day, but not now…please not now…'_

With Conan's plea, everyone backed down from their interrogation, but still held their suspicions. They didn't want to stress the boy out anymore than they were already, and it was obvious he would need to see someone for help.

Though therapy didn't help much, it did suggest a way to stabilize Kudo once again- return him to the normal routine. So against his parents wishes, Kudo went back to living with Rachel and her father, and attempted to get back into the swing of things. But as soon as Heiji introduced a murder case to him, Kudo almost made a complete relapse. He didn't break down and cry, but he started heaving, and started becoming paranoid once again. Kudo had thought someone else was in the room with them, and had even almost shot his soccer ball against his closet. Heiji had to pressure-point him down, which had not been fun.

So in short, Kudo was back, but he also wasn't back. He hadn't solved a case since he came back, and it didn't look like he was starting anytime soon. But…Heiji couldn't hide his suspicions in the recent rise in deaths of civilians in terms of the Yakuza…they happened at almost the exact same time that Kudo came back, maybe several days difference. The tan boy desperately wanted it to be a coincidence, but the truth was rarely ever that merciful.

"Hattori-san." Heiji snapped out of his gaze and turned around to see the police officer, Miwako Sato, staring at him with a serious expression. "Detective Suguru is here."

Nodding, he looked to see the blonde boy who also examined the body. Heiji nodded his head in thanks to the woman and approached his acquaintance. "How's it going?"

"Better than this poor lady." The blonde sighed. "I heard Kudo isn't fairing any better."

"No, he's not. I need you to help me investigate that Sabo-guy who found him actually, and-"

"Yes, we'll investigate the good Samaritan later, but we have more pressing matters to talk about." Suguru interrupted.

"What?" Heiji frowned.

"Tell me, have more and more Yakuza deaths been occurring throughout Japan?" He asked.

"Yeah, why?" Heiji frowned. "How'd you know?"

"Because Japan's not the only one suffering casualties." The blonde sighed mournfully and flipped out his phone, showing Heiji a video. "They sent this to the entire Scotland Yard, and being one of the only people in the department who can understand and read Japanese, I was able to translate for them. Quite a troubling message on their faces, isn't it?"

Heiji had just watched three Yakuza members fatally stab and rob a middle aged man who was walking home from a grocery store. The members had beaten the body for several members before relenting, before taking out facial scarves and putting them over their mouths. They already covered their bodies in dark clothes and ski masks, so the only thing visible was their mouths. And on those scarves was a three part message, that made Heiji's blood run cold. "This is…"

"Yes, it is. Germany and France have apparently been experiencing similar violence, along with China." Suguru confirmed. "I don't mean to be insensitive, but now isn't the time for Kudo to be crying in the corner. His break is over, we need him to become involved in the investigation, he has the most experience in this after all."

"Yeah…he does…" Heiji hated to admit it, but that message was very clear in what it said. They had always suspected this alliance but had never wanted to confirm it. Their fatal message said it all:

'THE WORLD WILL FADE TO BLACK'.

**XXXXXXXXXXX**

Serena Sebastian had never liked the fact that she was born into a socialite family. Her life was heavily controlled, and she hated the people that often surrounded her- only liking her for money, and only wanting to date her for her parents. That's why Rachel was so important to her, she and Jimmy were the only ones who never once asked nor cared about the amount of money in her bank account. But in saying that, she was often in a world she didn't want them to know about, a world that no law-abiding citizen should know about. Currently, she was treading into that world again, but this time…she was worried she'd be stuck there forever.

"Uncle…may I ask you to explain this…?" Serena had been asked to meet her uncle at his estate, with only her mother at her side. Her mother seemed excited, but had not bothered to tell Serena why, which only made the girl more nervous. She wasn't a genius like Jimmy, but she wasn't naïve in the slightest. She knew this was an extremely important occasion, for she, her mother, and her uncle were dressed in their formal kimonos, only reserved for omimais or business meetings.

"Don't worry Serena, this is a happy occasion!" Her uncle insisted. "I spoke with your mother beforehand, and she was thrilled with the arrangement!"

"I see…" She glanced at her mother, whose eyes bore a completely different expression than her fake smile. "Mother…may I inquire as to why we are here today?"

"Yes…you have right to know. Serena, you and Angie are wonderful daughters and have always served the Sebastian family well, and I'm proud at the young woman you are becoming. But due to the fact that your sister chose to go out of the family business and that she is engaged, I'm afraid you'll have to fulfill a certain duty that she cannot." Her mother explained in fake smile.

"No…" Serena stood up suddenly, furious. "I have a boyfriend! I absolutely refuse to go along with this!"

"Tomoko, control your daughter! I have to deal with that idiot, Jirokichi, I don't need this! I would've expected you to explain the situation to your daughter!" The old man accused.

"Forgive me, honorable uncle…it has not come up yet!" Serena was shocked to see her mother bow to this disgusting man so profusely. "Serena, apologize at once!"

"Go to hell, you perverted old geezer!" Serena was about to step out, when she found a gun pointed at her through the shogi door. She froze and slowly turned to the old man, known as Jirochi Sebastain.

"Good, you understand the situation, now sit down, will you? Let's talk. I have some important news to tell you two from this aspect of the family business." He smirked at Serena. "As I understand it, you are still friends with Detective Moore's daughter and Jimmy Kudo, as well as having connections with the Osaka police department, very nice."

"Leave them out this!" Serena was suddenly enraged. "I mean it! If you so much as go near any of them, I'll throw myself off that cliff! Then what will you do?!"

"If it means forcing your sister to take your place, then I'll do it." Jirochi smirked.

"YOU BASTARD!" Serena clenched her fist and was about to run forward, only to be stopped by a sword at her throat. Behind her uncle was a man about her age, pale skin, black hair, and dressed in a traditional kimono like her uncle; he honestly wasn't bad-looking, but Serena wasn't in boy-crazy mode right now. "Who are you…?"

"Ah, there you are Terada-kun…I'd like you meet my niece, Serena." He smiled at the introduction and turned back to his niece. "Now Serena-dear, there are going to be major changes to our legal system, and with that, certain sacrifices must be done from each family. First and foremost, you must cut-off all ties with your detective friends, otherwise the obvious will happen to them." Serena was trembling in rage at this point. "Secondly, you must break up with that boy you're seeing, Matako, was it? It wasn't meant to last any ways, there's too much of a status difference-"

**SLAP!**

Serena slapped her uncle; she was breathing hard and tears were streaming down her face. "Don't EVER talk down about my Matako…"

"You don't seem to know your place do you…?" Her uncle asked eerily.

**SLAP!**

Serena was sent to the ground, tears of rage were streaming down her face, she never felt so helpless in her life. "You are the heir to the Sebastian family, your duty is continue the line since your sister was too weak and turned down the position. You had you're your time as a teenager, but now family duties are calling. And deep down, you knew your friendship with those detectives wouldn't last…our wealth stems from the Yakuza, there's nothing you can do about that."

Serena refused to look at him. He smirked and turned back to the young man, who had remained silent throughout this. "Now then…I'd like to introduce your fiancé, Terada Okozaki, one of the finest snipers in the Yakuza and a strong family line stemming from a Sengoku intelligence family."

The boy in question walked over to Serena and held out his hand to her. "Hello Ms. Sebastian…let's get along, shall we?"

**XXXXXXXX**

Sabo was walking along the street eating a crepe, contemplating on where he was going to sail first once he got back to his island. As much as he wanted to be heopful about going back to his home world, he honestly doubted it was possible with Conan's reluctance to tell people the truth. He'd be happy to back the boy up, but it wasn't going to happen. He frowned when he thought of Conan, he hoped the PTSD wouldn't last too long.

"Excuse me." Sabo stopped abruptly and turned around, only to find no one. "Down here." The blonde looked down and saw a little blonde girl with green eyes, with a serious expression.

"May I help you?" Sabo was confused.

"You're Sabo-san, correct?" She asked him.

"Who are you?" The older blonde frowned.

"Anita Haiabara, friend of Jimmy Kudo and Associate of Dr. Agasa, you were the one who found Kudo, if I recall." She sat on a park bench.

"You must be close if you address him by his real name." Sabo observed.

"No, we just happen to be in similar circumstances." Anita sighed. "Listen, I don't know what happened to Kudo, but we need him to get back to his old, arrogant self so he can start solving cases again. An enemy of ours has arisen, and I'm sure you know which one I'm talking about."

"You'll have to tell me, I'm afraid." Sabo wasn't sure how much this girl knew and he wasn't going to rush in.

"Don't play dumb!" Anita clenched her fist. "Ever since Kudo came back, he's been as jumpy as a field mouse! I don't know what happened in the two weeks that he was gone, but it's obvious you do! We need his help, and possibly yours, so stop lying to me and fess up!"

"You wouldn't believe me, even if I told you." Sabo sighed.

"Try me. I'm a former member of the Black Organization, the very member who developed the drug that mutated myself and Kudo into these forms! Don't tell me what I won't believe!" Anita glared at the man.

"Haiabara-chan…" Sabo frowned.

"Shut up." She raised out her hand. "Don't speak unless spoken to." The older boy frowned, but nodded. "Good, now tell me: where in the hell was Jimmy Kudo?"

**Review please! Review or PM me with any questions or concerns! And I repeat: other than minor characters that'll never show up again in the story, NO OCs! Thank you! Also, let me know if you find any other plot points that need to be explained.  
**


	4. Revealing the Northern Lights

**Hey guys! I'm going out of town this weekend, and thought I'd update early. This chapter may confuse some people, so review or PM me with any questions. Secondly, please address whatever plot points I either left from the previous story or if you're even curious about. I love batting theories and ideas around, it's fun. **

**Lastly, there was a request from someone named Matt that I write an additional sequel to this one, but mainly focusing on Conan going into a different world (not One Piece) and doing something like this, or something different. He suggested several anime to cross it over, and after thinking about it, here's what I've decided: not right now.**

**In all honesty, it's way too early to be thinking about a third story; I'm still too stoked for this one. So if it does happen, it isn't going to be for awhile, and to be honest, it's not going to be any of the anime that Matt suggested. Not because I don't like any of them, but because I just don't think Case Closed could be crossed-over with them very well.**

**So anyways, without further ado: read, enjoy, review!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece or Case Closed**

With this, I'm sure you'll find the job interesting, and rest assured you will be paid generously. Are you still interested, Fujiko Mine?" An older gentleman was sitting on a posh couch, with a coffee table in between the other couch, with the attractive brunette. He had several suited men with guns beside him, while she had a samurai beside her. "I trust that your other associates would be interested?" He gestured to the samurai.

"I believe my leader would be interested, but I'm sure Mine-san will take up the offer before he does. I only came as a bodyguard, not as a business representative." The samurai man stood up. "Is there anything else?"

"No, that's it. Let me know, would you Mine-san?" He smirked at the attractive woman, who was still looking over the documents he handed her.

"I will, thank you." She smiled and stood up as well. "I apologize, but Goemonn-san and I must be going, other clients await us."

"Of course, have a nice day." The man nodded.

"I will, thank you." As soon as Fujiko and Ishiwaka left the room, they immediately headed towards the exit of this suffocating mansion, neither felt good about this place. They quickly got on their motorcycle and drove away. After the samurai was sure they weren't being followed, he turned to the woman with a frown.

"You aren't actually going to do this job, are you?" He asked.

"Lupin and I are both in the business of thieves, he knows as well as I do it's all about the end-profit." She shrugged.

"You worked with this kid before, and you know he just suffered some sort of trauma. Lupin may be infatuated with you, but…he does have a soft spot for kids, he won't let you do as you please here, Fujiko." Ishikawa warned.

"I know, he'll most likely offer me a different deal to counter that man's to prevent us from being at conflict with each other. So really, I don't see what difference it makes." Fujiko replied. "Besides…Kudo isn't really a child, Lupin knows this right?"

"Wrong, he considers anyone who chases him a kid. He is especially fond of Kudo because of his battle with this organization, especially with that. Besides…do you really want to kick someone when they're down, Fujiko-san?" The samurai asked.

"Of course not, which is why this job isn't worth considering. I'm paid to steal artifacts, not hack computers, if they want to insult my skill, then they need to pay triple this amount." She smirked. "Besides…I've got another job awaiting me with the Japanese government, I think it's only economically appropriate that we car pool."

"I see. Perhaps we should give that police chief in Tokyo a call, Lupin would probably love to talk to him again."

**XXXXXXXX**

Vivian and Booker Kudo had seen better days. Vivian had taken to staying home since she took her leave of absence from the acting business, only to wish she was right back on the job. She took her break after her son disappeared, and she watched anxiously as her husband combined his brain with Hattori's and Suguru, only to see it fail along with the entire case. After a week of theories and failed conclusions, everyone honestly thought their son was dead. A mother's absolute worst fear, and fear brings out the worst in people.

The great Booker Kudo, the world's greatest detective after Sherlock Holmes, couldn't locate his only son; it was only natural that the frantic mother of the missing child would be resentful towards him, it didn't help that it was his wife. Vivian Kudo had honestly refused to wear makeup the whole time, she wanted her son to recognize her when he was found. She was furious at her husband for not being able to find their son, and her fury increased further when they found him in the condition he was in.

When she, her husband, Rachel, Richard, Agasa, Serena, Hattori, and Kazuha went to the island to retrieve Conan, there were many hugs and kisses. Tears of joy were shed; and Rachel had honestly cried her heart out as she hugged the little boy. Vivian had her share of hugging him, and was reluctant to let him go. But when they tried to coax him onto the boat, something happened- Jimmy froze, he collapsed to his knees, and suddenly started vomited.

That man, Sabo, was quick to react, and quickly made the boy lay on his side. To make things worse, her son had started shaking very badly, and had curled into a fetal position. As much as they all didn't like it, they allowed Sabo to come to mainland Japan, because he was the only one who knew how to coax Jimmy onto the boat. Her son spent the entire time crying in Rachel's lap, and Sabo had to sit awkwardly beside them, trying to be as respectful as possible.

Seeing her son like that made all her worst fears come to possible realities. Just kind of torture did her son go through? He was so helpless in his childhood form, so anything could've happened to him. Vivian and Booker's worries were little soothed think all when the medical examiner confirmed extreme physical torture had occurred, but nothing beyond that. He also explained, that it was most likely that their son had been traumatized aboard a boat of some kind. Vivian remembered almost vomiting when she saw that horrid burn scar. Booker was certain that Sabo had something to do with it, but once again, failed to make him out as the accurate suspect.

Vivian didn't blame her husband's suspicions, they were terrified for their son, and wanted answers as to what happened to him, but it was apparent that Sabo wasn't the one who tortured him, otherwise Jimmy wouldn't be so clingy with him. But with their lack of other suspects, the only other person was that Black Organization member, Gin as the suspect, but intelligence confirmed that he had gone missing around the same time as her son. So her husband, as well as the rest of the detectives were stumped completely. Just what was going on? They didn't know, but they did know that Sabo knew, and that he was the key to finding the culprits who did this to their son.

**KNOCK! KNOCK!**

Sighing, she got up from the couch and went to answer the door. To her surprise, it was a friend that she hadn't spoken to in awhile.

"Sharon?" Vivian asked, visibly shocked.

"Vivian! Darling! How are you?!" Sharon Vineyard gave her best friend a huge hug, before patting her shoulders. "I heard you were cooped up for several weeks, and thought I might prevent you from becoming a shut-in!"

"Sharon…you're alive…" Vivian remembered her son's deduction, and quickly searched her jean pocket for her Swedish mini revolver. "But I thought…"

"I was dead? Yes, my agent insisted on pretending I was dead so the fans would buy more of merchandise, you remember the business. Besides, it was time for my retirement, wouldn't you agree?" Her friend smiled.

"You…could've at least called." Vivian replied.

"I know…I'm sorry…but business is business. Now come on!" She walked towards the other woman again. "Let's take you out, a couple of girls for a night on the town-"

**CLICK!**

"Don't come near me!" Vivian normally would be much cooler headed, but she hadn't slept or ate much since her son left and reappeared, and the fact that he was still with the Moore's didn't help her situation. She just remembered something else! Gin was also missing! Sharon might have answers! Vivian glared vehemently as she kept her gun raised. "I don't know who the hell you are, whether your name is Sharon, Chris, Candidate Masaba, or Vermouth, or whatever alias you go by! I want answers!"

"Vivian…" Vermouth sighed, and decided to drop the disguise. "Please calm down…I came here alone, and I am not here to hurt you."

"You honestly expect me to believe that?! After the lies you told me?! After what my son has been put through?!" The enraged woman demanded.

"No, I don't expect you to believe me, but it is the truth. I came here as a friend to warn you." She informed.

"Warn me?" Vivian repeated.

"Yes, there will be major changes that will occur in Japan soon and I think it would be best that you and your husband go into hiding. With your son finally having returned, you have no reason to stay in Japan, and given your husband's occupation, you are sure to be a prime target." She explained.

"What are you…?" The vibrant woman was just more confused.

"I don't have much time, and I only came to warn you as a friend. Get out of Japan with your family and friends now, and don't look back. I would hate to see one of the few people I consider a friend, die." Vermouth sighed and turned around. "That's all I have to say, take heed of my warning or not, but I can sleep easy now, knowing that I at least gave you fair warning."

As Vermouth was about to leave the premise, she was stopped by Vivian's quaking voice. "Do you…?"

"Do I what?" Vermouth turned around. Vivian was trembling, and tears were streaming down her face as she slowly lowered her weapon.

"Do you truly consider me a friend, at least by some definition?" The retired actress asked.

"Yes, I do." Vermouth answered easily.

"Then tell me, how did you know my son was missing?" Vivian asked.

"You know as well as I do, your son has been all over the news. He may be under a different name, but his disappearance and recovery have both been documented, even if I didn't have an agent, all I would have to do is turn on the TV to local news." She shrugged. "But I get the feeling that isn't what you want to ask me."

"No it's not, and I get the feeling that you came here with more than the intention of warning me to leave." Vivian countered.

"No, I came here with the intention of getting you drunk to lay the answers you want regarding your son gently. You always did take bad news better with a chocolate Kahlua." Vermouth shrugged. "I wasn't going to abduct you, I was just hoping to make it easier on myself."

"Why bother answering my questions to begin with? Why give me this kind of closure?" She demanded.

"Because I know how much you love your son, and I know how much this is hurting you and your husband. I am your enemy, but I am also a woman who happens to be fond of you, and I don't think it would hurt to give you some closure. Though I can't guarantee on how much you'll believe me." To be honest, the Black Organization agent doubted her ex-friend would believe her at all, but it was worth a shot.

"Just tell me: one of your other members, Gin-san…he was also missing and at around the same time as my son." She figured.

"He went to the same place as your son about a week later, but he came back in the same condition as Kudo-kun certainly." Vermouth sighed, remembering her lover's condition. "He's grown even more paranoid than he was before, he'll shoot at around objects, and it's gotten to the point where no one can approach his office after dark. He doesn't even allow me to stay over anymore, as hard as that it is to believe."

"Sharon…I don't care who you really are, or what your occupation is. Just tell me…what the hell happened to my son?! Who did this to him?!" The angry mother demanded.

Sighing, Vermouth sat down on the couch, and noticed the open bottle of wine of the table. She poured herself a glass, using Vivian's cup and took a sip. "Where to begin…?"

**XXXXXX**

Kazuha Tomoya sat beside her friend, Rachel and observed her friend in worry. "Rachel…you should sleep, you haven't been sleeping in days, have you?"

"No…I'm fine, I have to make dinner after all!" She was trying to finish up her English homework before five, and they just got out of school. Kazuha received some time off to help assist Heiji with the case, and honestly was quite troubled by what she observed so far. "That reminds me, I need to call the school to make sure Conan actually showed up, because he's-"

"Rachel!" Kazuah stood up and gave a firm smile. "I'll make dinner, don't worry about it. After all, Heiji and Conan are two bums that don't deserve your good cooking."

"Kazuha-chan…thank you!" Rachel smiled and got back to her work. "That's a big help, thanks!"

"No problem, anything to help out a friend." The ponytail-girl went into the kitchen to start taking out pots, pans, and whatever else she needed to start. "So other than homework, anything else going on with your school life?"

"Not much, but that reminds me though…" Rachel took out her phone and started texting. "I…haven't heard from Serena. She didn't come to school today, and she hasn't called me back."

"That's weird, when did you last hear from her?" Kazuha asked.

"Not since last night, her uncle called her out on a family emergency. I'll text Makoto-san to see if he's heard from her." She explained.

"Makoto-san?" Kazuha repeated.

"Ah. Her boyfriend, she started dating him from one of my karate tournaments." Rachel explained.

"Really! How romantic!" The other girl squealed. "He got a last name?"

"Ah. Makoto Kyogoku." She answered, still looking at her phone as she sent the message.

"Kyogoku…" Kazuha frowned, trying to remember the name. "Ah! He was in the regional karate finals last year! Your best friend is dating your rival, Rachel-chan!"

"It's not a big deal, besides…he's very kind and he makes her happy." Rachel insisted, and smiled when she received a text back, only to have horror strike her face.

"Rachel?" Kazuha frowned.

"She…broke up with him…Serena broke up with him." Rachel let her tears slip out, now another one of her friends was falling apart. Damn it! Why was this happening?!

**XXXXXX**

Booker Kudo stared at James Black and his associates Andre Camel and Jodie Starling, feeling even more reluctance than ever upon meeting them. "I'm not sure if this is a good idea." Booker finally admitted.

"Right now, I have Hondo's kids and their associates trailing the western part of Tokyo, while we're going to cover the east. And given the circumstances Mr. Kudo, I would've thought you'd be more anxious to direct this liaison." Black observed the man in question.

"It's not that I don't want you to interrogate him, so much as I am curious as to why you are choosing now." The younger man replied.

"With the recent activity the Black Organization has done, as well as the proven Yakuza connections, we have deduced that this happened approximately when your son came back. Furthermore, we also suspect that caused the Black Organization to make a huge shift in their behavior, but we haven't been able to confirm why." Black explained.

"Sabo-san mentioned my son was trying to fight a man named Gin off in his sleep." Booker narrowed his eyes. "He is a prominent member of the Black Organization, and I have already brought up this connection, it was you idiots that refused to take the connection seriously."

"Calm down, Kudo-san…I admit that the litigation process took awhile, but try to understand that the United States is in a rather big pickle, and we need to prioritize our jobs." The head FBI agent explained. "If I hadn't taken my time to explain to the president in what was going on, then this investigation would've been stone-walled for us, and they would've stranded us here to die. It wasn't anything personal, please understand."

"I'll understand when you start treating my son as a priority. Even in the form he's trapped in, he's gathered more intelligence than you or any of your agents combined ever could." Booker scoffed. "But enough, so you agree with me then, that Sabo-san has some connection with the Black Organization?"

"It is likely. Considering that he was the one who found your son, but could not provide an explanation for how he lived on the island himself, it is highly possible. And despite his isolation, he is well-versed in math and is highly literate, indicating he had some previous education before he lived on that island. What's more curious is that he didn't have a boat, but he managed to build quite a fine shelter for himself. So I agree with you that he is very fishy, but we are not ready to connect him with the Black Organization." Black explained.

"We do, however, believe that he has knowledge of what happened to your son, and we most certainly believe that he knows who tortured him." Starling added.

"With that, we're prepared and willing to help find him." Camel finished. "If we're done here, I propose we go find him before he decides to leave early. To our understanding, the Sebastian family provided him a small sum of money and a sailboat for his travels. So finding him is urgent, don't you agree?"

Booker nodded and clenched his fists. "Let's go."

**XXXXX**

Richard Moore was bored, and briefly wondered how the hell he got dragged into this. Due to his depressed state, his daughter and her school friend decided to kick him out of the apartment; apparently his atmosphere brought everyone down around him. But he would've rather have been passed out on the couch than the position he was in now.

"Pretty lucky we ran into you, huh Detective Moore?" A small voice asked him.

"Yeah, yeah…don't rub it in." He sighed. That's right, somehow he got dragged into walking the Junior Detective Agency to their respective homes, but instead of it being that easy, they were out looking for a new mystery to cheer up Conan. Honestly, as soon as that brat left and came back, he hadn't been able to solve a single case right without that damn Hattori-brat's help. But even he had to admit he was worried sick for the kid, sure he was an annoying brat, but…he was good company, and he hated to think something bad happened when he was missing.

"Conan-kun's been pretty down lately, he didn't come to school again." Amy looked down in sadness.

"Don't worry! You know Conan, he'll perk right up once he sees a case!" Mitch insisted.

"Yeah! And if he continues to skip school, we'll drag him out!" George reassured.

"But it's not just him, Anita-chan hasn't been coming to school either." The little girl pointed out.

"That kid just spreads cheer wherever he goes, doesn't he?" Detective Moore said sarcastically, but then saw something ahead of him and frowned. He stopped abruptly, and put a hand out to stop those three kids, which caused them to look as well. "Isn't that your other friend that you were talking about?"

Amy's eyes widened in recognition. "Anita-cha-" Detective Moore clamped his hand over her mouth and quickly moved the kids behind some bushes.

"What'd you do that Detective Moore?!" George demanded.

"Yeah! You almost hurt us!" Mitch added.

"Shhh! Look who she's with!" He pointed to the blonde in the tophat beside their friend. While he was finishing a crepe with a solemn expression, Anita seemed to have a look of pure shock and rage. Narrowing his eyes, he looked down at them. "Let's move closer."

Meanwhile, the conversation really was what it looked liked- after hearing the whole story, Haibara couldn't believe one bit of it. "So let me get this straight…you are saying that Kudo not only went to another world, but he also helped save it. And apparently, the Black Organization established contact with this world, which is apparently your home world, about a year prior to all this. And currently, Kudo is suffering from PTSD courtesy of a famous pirate named Blackbeard, who tortured him and several other people for the hell of it?"

"That's pretty much it, yeah." Sabo sighed, knowing this was not going to end well. "He's currently trying to work up the nerve to ask Agasa-san to send me back to my world through some kind of device or another. That's about it…I'm assuming you don't believe me, Haibara-san."

To his surprise, the little girl started laughing. "Well I have to say Sabo-san…I wasn't expecting that. I have heard pretty farfetched stories in my time, hell I've been in situations where no one would ever believe. Like Kudo, I was forced to change my name and age to protect my identity from the Black Organization, and I find it impressive that you managed to brainwash someone like him so deeply. Do you want to know what my original name was Sabo-san?"

"Haibara-san…"

"It was Shiho Miayno, I betrayed those damned bastards after they killed my sister. I took the same drug they had forced down Kudo, in hopes that it would kill me. But instead of suicide, I ended up reverting in age to the form I am now. Kudo foolishly pursued Gin-san and Bourbon-san upon a superficial investigation at best, and they knocked him out and forced him to ingest that pill, taking his life and exchanging it for Conan Edogawa." She laughed sadistically. "And here I thought mine and Kudo's situations were unbelievable, yet your story certainly takes the cake!"

"I don't expect you to believe me, which was why I tried to convince Kudo-san to tell the story himself." Sabo explained. "But it seems as though it was too late. Would it have honestly made any difference, Haibara-san, in terms of who you heard it from?"

"It's obvious that you brainwashed him, you son of a-"

**RUSTLE!**

Both Haibara and Sabo froze when several people came tumbling out of the bush. Though Sabo only recognized Detective Moore, he could tell by the little blonde girl's expression that the three little ones weren't meant to hear their conversation either. He frowned, this universe really made his senses dull.

"You guys…" Haibara reached out a hand hesitantly, her eyes were wide.

"Anita-chan…you…are you really…?" Amy sank to her knees, and hid her face. The two boys bore similar looks of uncertainty, but hid the girl behind them.

"Haibara…" Mitch spoke.

"Who are you…really?" George finished. "Is what you said…true?"

"You guys need to understand-"

"UNDERSTAND WHAT?!" Detective Moore snapped and stalked up to the little girl, picking her up by the collar. "Tell me what there is to understand, you lying little-"

**POINT!**

"That's enough, Detective Moore." Though the sword-cane was sheathed, Sabo meant just as much business pointing it at the angry man. "I know this is difficult to take in, but harming Haibara-san won't help, so please…"

"Why you-" Detective Moore dropped Anita and was about to throw a punch at Sabo.

"HEY STOP!" Moore froze and saw Booker and several people he didn't know approach with him. Booker forced his friend to lower his fist down. "Richard, what's going on? What are you doing?"

"Did you know…?" The dim detective muttered, trembling.

"Know what?" Booker asked, blinking in confusion.

"Your son…did you know that he was that little brat living with me and my daughter?" Richard bit out each word.

Booker allowed shock to overcome his face, as well as the FBI agents with him. "How…" He turned to Sabo. "You bastard! What did you tell him?!"

"It wasn't him, it was her!" George pointed to Haibara, who was on her knees at this point.

Her eyes were wide and she was clutching her head. As though a final plea, she whispered: "What have I done…?"

**Review please! I know, I know- I broke a golden rule in Case Closed- Conan's identity was revealed. There are several reasons behind why I'm doing this, and sticking to it. For one thing, this is going to be an extreme suspense and thriller story later on, so the envolpe needed to be pushed. Not to mention, there was no way they weren't going to realistically discover Conan's identity in this story anyways. Secondly, Conan is going to be pushed even further than he had been in my original story, and I'm honestly looking forward to challenging him further.**

**Lastly, the point of this story was to help Conan move forward, which is what I plan to do. I hope you all like this chapter, and you are all free to PM or review me with any comments, concerns, or questions. Till next week!**


	5. Shattered Youth Masquerade

**Yo! Next chapter is up! Not much happens, but this chapter is necessary for the development of the story. Basically it's a giant confessional. One Piece will get discussed next chapter, but not in this one. Thank you! **

**Also, more One Piece character will be used other than Sabo, I'll promise you that much too.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece or Case Closed**

Sabo sighed from behind the holding cell, he really should've seen this coming. After Haibara's accidental confession, Booker and the FBI agents simply placed him under arrest for a 'Disturbing the Peace' charge, and was placed in here. Right now, all he had to be grateful for was Haibara's ignorance, so now Kudo-senior and the rest o the FBI staff were at the Moore's apartment, awaiting for Conan's arrival. He shuddered, he honestly felt pity for the kid, but…he did warn Kudo as did his brothers; he couldn't keep running from the truth, and eventually it was going to catch him.

"Hey, you're a lucky bastard, someone was stupid enough to post your bail." The police chief glared at the blonde, who sat up on his bunker in the holding cell. He observed three people come in; two were young women about the same age, Sabo recognized one of them to be Kudo's mother. The other was a feminine-looking guy with glasses, who appeared rather clumsy. "Are you sure about this, Mrs. Kudo?"

"It's all right, Megurine. Eisuke-kun and Hidemi-chan are with me, and yes…I'm sure about this. I won't be left alone with him." The woman assured him.

"Fine, but he's on probation, and if he makes any wrong moves, don't hesitate to call." The police chief advised.

"Don't worry, I will." The woman nodded and the man left. Her expression turned serious as she faced the blonde man, who stared at her in equal suspicion. "Sabo-san…are you well?"

"I've been better miss, but obviously someone like me would prefer being locked aboard a ship." He smiled. "Though I'm grateful you posted my bail, I can't help but wonder why."

"Yes, there is a specific reason why I bailed you out. First and foremost, I know you didn't hurt my son, and I apologize for all the accusations you've faced." Vivian said sadly.

"And the second thing?" Sabo was really suspicious now.

"Secondly, I need you to confirm something. Sabo-san…are you from a place where there is a treasure, known as One Piece?

**Elsewhere-A Few Hours Later**

Conan was in Dr. Agasa's lab, relearning how to use his gadgets. He kicked the soccer ball into several targets, and cursed when it missed several of the targets. "Agasa, set some more up!"

"Jimmy, you've been here for a few hours and it's getting dark. You should probably head home before Rachel and her father will be worried about you, and you also didn't go to school today either." The old man chided him.

"If I'm going to get back into the swing of things, I need to be ready." Conan replied, turning up his sneakers.

"And you won't be ready if you are short on sleep and food." The doctor rebutted. "Just go back, I'm sure they're waiting on you, and it's not wise to keep them waiting since you arrived back."

"I know, it's just…" Conan clenched his fists.

"It'll take time to heal Jimmy, but it will eventually. Until then, you can't force anything." Agasa smiled gently. "Also, Anita-chan called and said she was eating snacks at your house, so she asked me to drive over you over so she can be picked up."

"Mooching off of Rachel again?" Conan turned off his sneakers and retrieved his soccer ball, and grabbed a wash cloth wipe the sweat off his brow. "Sounds like her."

"Let's get going then! Rachel always makes such good food!" Agasa said in excitement.

"Professor…Haibara's officially a bad influence on you." Conan's eyebrow twitched.

**20min Later**

"WE'RE HERE!" Agasa opened the door, and proudly announced their entrance. "Sorry it took us so long, traffic was crazy, and-" He stopped himself when he noted the amount of people in the small apartment. "Eh…what's going on? Why are all of you here? Is there a party of sorts?" Conan grew extremely apprehensive when he saw who was all at his apartment. Hattori and his girlfriend were here, along with Rachel and her dad obviously, but what bothered Conan was that the Junior Detective League was here, as well as his own father, and the FBI team. Everyone was staring at him with either suspicion, or had downcast expressions of guilt.

"No, but if you don't start talking, there's going to be a funeral!" Kazuha grabbed the old doctor's chest.

"Kazuha-nee-" Conan tried to get the girl off him.

"Don't talk!" The ponytail girl turned her gaze down at the little boy. "You're him aren't you?! You're Jimmy Kudo!"

At once, all of Conan's defenses broke. "What…? W-What are you talking about, K-Kazuha-neechan…it's me, Conan-."

"Don't bother Kudo." Haibara spoke from the couch, who sat beside his parents. "They know."

"How…?" Jimmy could literally feel his voice dying in his throat.

"Dad overheard a conversation that Haibara-san and Sabo-san were having. I'm not entirely sure what the conversation was about beforehand, but Haibara-san ended up saying that you and her were…not who you say you are now." Rachel's voice was quiet, sad, and clearly laced with betrayal. "Is this true Conan…are you Jimmy? Are you really?"

"Rachel…" Conan reached out hesitantly.

"ANSWER ME!" She shouted. "Jimmy! Is that you?!"

The whole room fell into a pregnant silence, and awaited the small boy's response. After awhile, the boy relented and looked away from the group. "Yeah…it's true…it's me, Jimmy."

"I see…why didn't you tell me?" Rachel asked quietly.

"It's complicated Rachel, there were a lot of factors I had to consider, and-"

"Don't give me that detective bullshit!" The girl snapped at him and stood up and walked over to Conan.

**SLAP!**

Conan rubbed his cheek in shock, looking up at Rachel, noting tears were falling from her eyes. She had been trying to hold her tears in for awhile, but there was no stopping them now. "I asked you repeatedly if you were Jimmy. Each time you said no, it broke my heart because I held on to that hope that my best friend had come home. The one who always leaves me because there's another case he has to solve, the one who always disappeared mid-visit when he came around, and apparently…the one whose been lying to me for the past two years."

"Rachel…" Conan honestly had no argument for what she was saying, and cradled his cheek, feeling his own tears well up. "I didn't want to lie to you, any of you, but please believe me…I had no choice. It was to protect-"

"DON'T GIVE ME THAT EXCUSE!" Rachel shouted. "How many times have I saved you from a criminal?! How many times have I saved you with my strength?! How many times have I supported you, while you didn't even acknowledge me?!"

"Rachel…" Conan muttered.

"NO! JUST LEAVE!" Rachel snapped, slapping his hand away. She started walking towards her room. "Just go Jimmy…you've done enough. Whatever you were trying to protect me from…no longer matters."

"Rachel-"

**SLAM!**

After the door shut, Kazuha stood up and went to follow her. "I'm going to talk to her, I suggest you keep your distance, Kudo."

"Oi, Kazuha, that's not-"

"Don't you DARE talk here, Heiji. You knew the whole time Conan was Jimmy, didn't you?!" The ponytail girl hissed.

"Er…Well…I-" The Kansai detective was clearly caught off guard.

"You knew from when you first came to Tokyo looking for him, that Conan was Kudo, and you didn't bother to tell Rachel, not even me! Don't you trust me, Heiji?!" Kazuha yelled.

"Kazuha! It wasn't like that!" Heiji defended. "It…" He looked at Conan, who was staring at the floor at this point. "It wasn't my secret…it wasn't my place to say anything."

"You're right, it wasn't your place to say anything to anyone…" Kazuha had her hand on the doorknob to the other girl's bedroom. "But Rachel and I aren't just 'anyone', so don't go off treating us like that!" After a moment, Kazuha spoke. "I need some time to think, I'll be sleeping over with Rachel tonight, so go ahead without me."

"Kazuha-"

**SLAM!**

That was the end of Heiji's conversation, which lead to the next occupants of interest to speak- Rachel's father. He had been surprisingly subdued throughout this whole thing, but despite that, his cleaned fists and contorted face definitely spell anger. "Booker."

The older Kudo blinked in surprise at being addressed. "Why are these three FBI agents here?"

Blinking in surprise, he answered. "They're here to escort my son and I home. We have much to discuss."

"I see, so these suited turkeys knew too." He continued.

"Yes, they did." The FBI agents looked to the floor. "But it was to protect-"

"I don't want to hear it, unless if they have other reason to be in here, they leave. NOW." Detective Moore ordered.

"We understand." James Black and his associates stood and bowed and went to wait in the hallway of the apartment complex.

When they left, the stupid detective spoke again. "So let me get this straight: my daughter's childhood friend has been living with me for the past two years, trapped in the form of a little kid, because of some super-powered crime syndicate made some type of youth-drug. Honestly, it's one of the most ridiculous things I've ever heard, like out of a bad sci-fi movie or something. I wouldn't have believed it, if it weren't for you, the FBI, and that little girl confessing. Which leaves you, doctor, did you know?" He turned to Agasa, who had been comforting the children on the couch.

Agasa looked up in surprise. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't know. But please understand, it was to protect you-"

"Don't give me that crap about protection! I used to be a cop, it's just something we tell ourselves when we can't face up to to the victim! None of you had it in you to face me and my daughter." Richard smirked angrily. "To think…I thought you were good enough for my daughter, I honestly thought that for quite a long time."

"Moore-san…" Conan looked at him.

"But if you don't even have the guts to be honest with me about helping me solve cases, or don't have it in you to face my daughter when you screwed up, I was obviously wrong. You're not good enough for Rachel, you're not even good enough to be something as low as a reject-detective like. A lonely bastard with no friends or family, cause he can't trust himself not to shoot his loved one when she's in danger!" Richard yelled.

"Oi!" Heiji reached out his hand, but Haibara stopped him, shaking her head.

Richard took a breath after his rant. "Get out of my apartment, all of you, none of you are welcome back."

"Richard-" Booker reached out a hand.

"GET OUT!" He shouted. He glared at Conan's trembling form. "Stay away from me, stay away from my daughter, do whatever the hell you want with your life, as long as it doesn't involve us! Now go!"

"Fine, we'll leave." Booker sighed, and Heiji nodded; he placed a hand on Conan's shoulder to lead him out. "Richard…I'm sorry…I really am."

"Sorry kids…let's go." Agasa lead the detective league and Anita out as well. "Good day, Richard."

"Yeah…" With that, Booker and Heiji lead the stunned mini-detective into the hall as well.

**SHUT!**

Conan jumped slightly, finally snapping out of his trance, hearing the door close. He vaguely realized that he may never see the inside of that apartment again, may never experience the loud noises of laugh and booze, and may never experience Rachel's cooking. His heart sank even further when he thought of Rachel, realizing that there was a strong chance that she may never speak to him again. He looked up at Heiji, who also held a troubled expression.

"Hattori…"

"I should get going." The taller boy sighed and took his hand off Conan's shoulder.

"We'll give you a ride." The FBI members offered.

"Don't you need to go with Kudo?" He pointed out.

"I think it'd be better if we escorted you home, with the Black Organization so active, none of us can afford to travel alone." The agents explained logically.

"Fine. Later Kudo." Heiji waved him off as he walked away. "Thanks for making Kazuha angry with me, too."

"Hattori…" Conan muttered as the boy walked ahead, down the railings.

"We'll be going then, please call us in the morning." James Black nodded his head, and he and his agents left.

This left Conan to face his next victims: the Junior Detective League. Each looked like they were about to cry; Amy was openly spilling tears, Mitch had his hand clenched and was looking at the ground, and George looked off to the side, refusing to say anything. "Guys…"

"Conan-kun…" Surprisingly, Amy spoke. "Anita-chan…did we mean anything to you? Anything at all?"

"Amy-chan…" Haibara turned away, unable to look at them. "It wasn't supposed to be like this! We weren't supposed to get close, we-"

"Then what was it supposed to be like?" Mitch snapped at the response. "What was going to happen once you two became adults again? Were you just going to leave us without any explanation? Just what were you expecting to do once you turned back to normal?! Where did we fit into all this?!"

"Mitch…" Conan muttered.

"Did we mean anything to you at all?" George asked quietly. "All those cases we solved, all those adventures…were they all just a lie? Do you really not think of anything of what's happened?"

"NO! You guys mean so much to me!" Conan snapped. "I never meant to get close with any of you, but…" He fell to his knees, freely crying at this point. "Things just happened…things that I never should've let happen, but they did. I got close to all of you, and formed bonds and friendships that never should've existed. And you guys are right, once Haibara and I would turn to normal, we probably would've just left you without saying anything."

"Were we even friends then?" Amy asked tearfully.

"In the cruel sense of reality, I would say no." Haibara answered quietly. "But…don't think for a second that I nor Kudo don't care about you three."

"Yeah right." Mitch snorted and turned to Dr. Agasa. "Doctor, please take us home, our parents are waiting for us."

"Mitch…" Agasa sighed.

"We don't need them, we'll be the Junior Detective League on our own. Come on guys." Mitch started descending down the stairs.

Georgie sent them one last look, before departing to follow. "Don't talk to us again, Kudo. Detectives are supposed to tell the truth."

Conan didn't respond, and there was left was Amy. She stood in silence, staring at Haibara and Kudo for several seconds before finally speaking. "I had a crush on you Conan-kun." Conan snapped his head up. "You were so smart and brave, that I couldn't help but admire that, and it made me happy that we grew closer as we solved mysteries. Anita-chan…I was nervous when you first joined our group because I thought you were closer to Conan-kun than the rest of us, and thought of you as a rival. But as we became friends, when I first started calling you Anita-chan…it made me really happy." Amy started crying again as she spoke, leaving the two detectives speechless. "So to finally be told all of this is a lie…really hurts..."

"Amy…" Haibara muttered sadly.

"Please don't…Haibara-san…please don't." Amy dashed towards the stairs, signaling her goodbye.

Booker sighed at the troubled look at Agasa's face, and the two remaining children. "I'll take Jimmy and Haibara, you can meet us out the house after you drop the kids off."

"Sounds good." Agasa looked on sadly to Jimmy, who was still on his knees, crying his eyes out. Haibara wasn't doing much better, but at least she was forcing herself to stand. Both had the rug pulled out from under them, and now…they almost had no one…to everyone else…they were the traitors. And they could never know how painful that was.

**20min Later**

Booker arrived at his house, seeing Agasa had trailed behind him several minutes beforehand. The kids were dropped off at their houses, and would most likely not be seen again; which did not bode well for his son and the scientist. Agasa said that the drop-off was completely silent, and they didn't even utter a farewell after he dropped them off. Jimmy and Haibara just wanted to get inside and crawl into a dark space somewhere.

"Stay for some tea, Agasa. We all could use it." Booker sighed.

"Sounds good, and you are definitely right about that." Agasa nodded.

**CLICK!**

"Vivian! We're home-" Booker stopped abruptly when he noticed his wife was not alone. The guest shocked everyone completely.

"Sabo-san…"

"Hey Kudo-san…you looked like you've had a rough night." There, on his couch, was probably his greatest ally at the moment, and before anyone could say anything else- Conan sprang. He was in the blonde's arms, sobbing; Sabo said nothing and started stroking his head to calm him down. Sabo looked up at Haibara, who bore a similar look of shock. "I take it, it didn't go well."

"That's an understatement. What are you doing here, anyways? Haven't you done enough damage?" She demanded.

"He's here because he's the only one that knows what happened to my son." Vivian spoke and turned to her husband and Agasa, and Haibara. "Haibara-chan…I understand Sabo-san tried to explain what happened to Jimmy."

"Yes, the story was even more outlandish than our situation. Why?" Haibara answered with a frown.

"Vivian…what's going on? Why did you bring him here?" Booker knew that man was arrested, so the only way for him to be at his house was if his wife bailed him out.

"The answer will come soon!" Vivian snapped but calmed down. "I need everyone here to keep an open mind, and absolutely nothing we discuss leaves this room."

"Okay..." Booker agreed.

"I know none of you will believe me but…the one who injured Jimmy is not of this world." The woman spoke slowly.

"Vivian?" Booker blinked, noting Haibara's eyes grow wider.

"Not only has Sabo told me the same story as well as telling Anita-chan, but there's additional proof to what he is saying. Now, I ask you not to panic or worry until I finish my explanation no matter what is said, is that understood?" Vivian said carefully, and everyone nodded. "A Black Organization member was at this house." She raised a hand to stop the uproar "…And she told me what happened to Jimmy…she told me about a world of water, a world of marines and pirates, a world of magical fruits that gave the user an ability in exchange for his ability to swim…she told me the world of One Piece."

**Review please! So like usual, let me know if you have any questions or concerns through PM or review! Later!**


	6. Picking up the Pieces

**Hey guys! Here's the next chapter! In this chapter, the One Piece world is finally discussed! Everyone in the main cast will find out about One Piece one way or another, but I'm starting with these guys. Conan might be a little OOC, but remember, he's just lost almost all his friends and is currently suffering from PTSD, so please remember that as you read.**

**Secondly, there are some things I'd like to address. First of all, I understand that people might have been disappointed with the previous chapter because I made no one understand Conan's situation, but I have my reasons for doing what I did. First of all, Jimmy's been essentially lying to almost everyone in that room for several years I think (I don't know how long Jimmy's actually been Conan in the series, I'm just assuming a year or two), and even though he has good intentions, that doesn't mean anyone's not going to be hurt over what happened. Especially considering he was forced to confess, and not confessing willingly. So to Rachel, her father, and the detective kids, he didn't trust them enough to tell them the truth, and didn't care enough about their feelings to be honest about his intentions with them. **

**And whether or not Rachel would count points or not, that doesn't mean she wouldn't be angry at Jimmy, as she has shown how angry she can get before. I basically based their reactions on how anyone else would feel about the situation, and I would imagine very angry. Many of the Case Closed characters are extremely realistic in their reactions to situations, and this is no different. And don't worry, they will come back to Conan eventually, but I needed him isolated for now for my story. I'm sorry that some people didn't like it, but I'm sticking to my guns here.**

**Next, there has been an issue of story requests, sequels, and even a oneshot based on this story. I'm honored so many of you think so highly of me and love this fic so much, but here's the deal: it's my story, it's hardly begun, and I'm not thinking about a third story at the moment, so please don't ask me to do one right now. And DO NOT issue story challenges related to my fic to other authors, I'm not naming names, but that did happen. I don't mean to be rude, but this is my story, I am not co-writing this with anyone, and I have the complete rights to it. I don't mean to sound rude, and you're welcome to ask me anything about this story and submit ideas, but do not do any of what I mentioned above please.**

**Lastly, and this is positive news to most- there WILL be more One Piece characters other than Sabo. Just not the ones you guys are expecting.  
**

**Well, that's about all I have to say, so enjoy the chapter! Read, enjoy, review!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece or Case Closed**

"One Piece?" Booker repeated in confusion. "Weird code name."

"It's not a code name…it's a pirate treasure." Conan mumbled from Sabo's chest. "Long ago, there was a man named Gol. D. Roger who was King of the Pirates. He ruled the seas with an iron first, but was eventually captured by the Navy and World Government, but before his moment of death, he answered the one question that was on everyone's mind. 'My treasure is yours for the taking, but you'll have to find it first…you'll find everything I own in One Piece'. Ever since then, pirates around the world have been searching for the kingly treasure."

His explanation was quiet, but his parents, Anita, and Agasa clearly heard it from their expressions. Anita looked as if she was in a state of further shock, Vivian looked to the floor sadly, while Agasa and his father had no idea what to make of Conan's story. Were they supposed to decode this? What did pirates have to do with anything?

"That was what you said…" Anita looked at Sabo, not fully believing this still. "You also told me the world of One Piece, but I didn't believe it. Kudo-san…are you saying that this woman told you the same story as Sabo-san?! Just what kind of collaboration is this?!"

"It's not a collaboration, Haibara-san…please don't put me in the same category as those people." Sabo sighed. "But now, do you believe me?"

"Believe what?! Could someone tell me just what the heck is going on?!" Booker exclaimed.

"Vivian, which of the members was in your house with you?" Agasa asked carefully.

She bit her lip hesitantly before answering. "It was Sharon Vineyard…we know her as Vermouth."

"You let that woman in your house while you were alone?! Are you insane?!" Anita shouted.

"No, just desperate!" She argued. "I'm a worried mother who has right to know what happened to her son! No one else was giving answers to me, so I had no choice!"

"At the cost of your life?!" Anita argued.

"My son almost lost his life, so I'd be happy to risk mine to stop it form repeating!" Vivian argued.

"Girls!" Booker stopped them, and turned to his wife carefully. "Vivian…tell us from the beginning what happened. What was Vermouth doing in our home exactly? What is Sabo-san doing here? And what is this One Piece everyone is talking about?"

"Yes, I think starting at the beginning would be the wisest thing to do." Agasa advised.

Nodding, the woman started. "She came to our home dressed as Sharon…pretending like everything was fine, like everything was normal, as if she didn't fake her death or pretend to be her mother." She clenched her fists. "Obviously, I couldn't stand the charade and pulled out my Mini Swiss; I had been jerked around for two weeks straight because of false information regarding Jimmy, I wasn't about to be taken on another joyride. She told me that she wasn't there to abduct me, but…she came here because…she claimed she still saw me as a friend."

"You can't possibly buy that." Haibara interrupted.

"I don't buy it, but the story she gave me supplied completely new questions. Haibara-san, Agasa-san, Booker, while Conan was asleep he mumbled Gin-san's name over and over. We all knew it was the Black Organization's member's name, but we weren't sure how it fit into Jimmy's condition. Vermouth's story was crazy, and I honestly don't fully believe it myself, but…I don't see what reason she would make up such an outlandish lie. If it is to deceive us, why make up something so elaborate?" Vivian answered.

"What exactly did Vermouth tell you, dear?" Booker asked.

"She told me that Gin-san had also been missing for two weeks, and furthermore…he is also currently suffering from PTSD." The whole room had gone silent, any thoughts Anita had of Sabo lying was completely drained out. "She actually came to me to ask how we were treating Jimmy's condition, because Gin-san had to be taken off of active duty, and they are looking for ways to quicken his recovery. But I told her that I could not supply her with that information unless I knew the truth about what happened to Jimmy, in which case she replied the same as Sabo-san did I would assume: 'You wouldn't believe me'. Am I right?" She asked Sabo and the other occupants.

"That's correct." Anita had actually been the only one to hear the story, while Booker and Agasa were first timers.

"Well she was right, her story left me completely stiff and speechless; it sounded like a bad scifi movie, I honestly didn't believe her in the slightest until she brought up the similarities in Jimmy and Gin-san's conditions. But her biggest proof was bringing up the Raven Chaser case, and recounting exact details of how Jimmy disappeared that night." Now Agasa and Booker were really interested, and Anita was now starting to believe Sabo's story. "Haibara-chan…since Sabo-san already told you, I assume you believe him by now, so please bear with me as I tell this story."

"That's fine." She kept staring at Sabo, as if trying to recall every detail about his story.

"Dear…what happened to our son? What is going on here?" Booker tried again.

"Darling…first and foremost I want to apologize to you." Her words surprised him. "I was scared out of my mind when Jimmy went missing, and when you and Hattori-kun failed to find him, I started fearing the worst, which brought out the worst in me. I blamed you so much for not finding him, and gave you a lot of grief, so I'm sorry for that." She turned to Agasa and offered him another apologetic smile. "And you doctor…I'm sorry I blamed your inventions…they didn't get my son in trouble, in fact, they saved his life, from what I was told."

"Vivian, it's fine…don't push yourself." The old man chided gently.

"Thank you…but I had to say it. I love you, Booker, and I'm sorry I didn't think about your feelings as well. You were the one out there looking for him, you were the one going to each location-lead only to come back empty-handed, and you were there alone when the police tried to declare him dead." Vivian covered her tearing eyes. "I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…"

"Dear…" Booker strode over and encased his wife in a hug, and held her close. They hadn't done this since Jimmy disappeared, and it was long overdue. "It's okay, take your time."

"Booker…no…we have to discuss this now. I want to hear it from Jimmy though…I want you to tell me if what I say next is true." She turned to her son, and she sweatdropped as Sabo gave her an awkward smile, as he patted Conan's head.

"Sorry...I think all the emotional stree got to him, and he lost conscious. You can wait until morning to confirm with him, Vivian-san, but…I think we should still discuss it." He pet the boy's head tenderly, and pulled a blanket over his lax form.

"I suppose." She nodded and began. "Vermouth told me, that about six months to a year ago, they established contact through an odd cellphone connection, and made contact with an organization called the 'World Government', who had the military power of your typical Navy. But it soon became apparent, that this wasn't another crime syndicate, and they didn't have a typical Navy."

"What do you mean, Vivian?" Agasa asked.

"This is the part where I think it's impossible, but all evidence says otherwise: Vermouth claims that the Black Organization was able to make contact with another world." She answered strongly.

"No seriously, what'd she say?" Booker replied.

"She's not kidding." Haibara backed her up. "It seems as though they did make contact with another world, and in that process, they sent your son and Gin-san in there."

"Anita-chan…you believe this?" Agasa asked in disbelief.

"I know it sounds crazy, but yes, I do." Haibara put a hand on her head, trying to take in the physics concepts behind the idea. "From what Sabo-san described to me, and my own experience in the organization, they were originally experimenting with how to teleport various fragments of light. It was only in the developing stages when I first worked there, I never imagined they would complete it."

"So you were aware of this project then, huh?" Sabo figured.

"Somewhat. The ultimate goal of the device was complete and accurate teleportation." Agasa and Booker looked at her in shock. "In theory- the light fragments around our bodies would react to the physical electrolytes within our molecular systems, which would force a breakdown and allow light-speed particle movement possible. So not only did they complete it, they even managed to contact another universe's wavelength based on that."

"Hold on! Is that even possible?! Agasa!" Booker felt like he was in a room full of nutcases and turned to his old friend, but found that he too was knee-deep in scientific theory.

"I don't know…some scientists have theorized there are other universes and life forms in existence, but have never found a way to make communication. It seems as thoug the Black Organization is much more advanced than we thought. Anita, does that mean they actually completed the teleportation theorem? What do they plan to use it for?" He asked her.

"They were going to create portable teleportation devices for heavy shipments and to avoid airline flights. It wasn't something they were planning on using extensively, more like a commodity of convenience." Haibara answered. "They must've brushed particles with the One Piece universe's wavelength and managed to establish contact through the wireless signals of the cellphone. And considering that the organization have their own wireless system, they easily could've avoided the official channels."

"So wait…another world actually exists out there?!" Booker didn't want to believe it, but he knew Agasa wouldn't chase a false hope in this situation.

"Yes, and that universe happens to be my home." Sabo spoke up.

Booker turned to Sabo and asked: "How'd you get here then? Were you apart of another Black Organization's experiment?"

The blonde frowned. "Unfortunately, even I don't know the answer to that. You see, I was murdered when I was ten years old in my original universe, and I woke up in this universe, washed up on that island where your son ended up. I apologize, but I have no better explanation than that."

"I see…" Booker sighed, another mystery on their hands. "Okay, so this One Piece world exists, that doesn't explain what that has to do with our son or why the Black Organization stayed in contact with them to begin with."

"According to Vermouth, a business arrangement was made." Vivian spoke again. "The arrangement was: that the Black Organization would give this World Government agency their advanced weaponry technology, and in exchange: they would get these items called 'Devil Fruits'. I'm unaware of how they work biologically, but apparently, each fruit has an ability and if eaten, the user naturally gains it. Unfortunately, the price of it is taxing, especially in a world of water: the user loses his or her ability to swim."

"My, that would be a fascinating study." Agasa nodded, intrigued.

"I see, and the Black Organization was serious about this?" Booker asked, barely believing the magic fruit payment idea. But still…if other worlds are possible, why not magical power-granting fruits?

"Serious enough to send mice and birds through their teleporatation device. I don't know if this was meant to be their final project, but they managed to build a machine that allowed access to their universe, but the World Government hadn't found a way to access ours. But they still had one hurdle to get passed: they had no idea if humans were able to pass or not." Vivian explained.

Booker suddenly went pale and looked at his snoozing son; he was still resting his head on Sabo's leg, snoring slightly. The bags under Conan's eyes were a dead giveaway to how tiered he was, and how little sleep he had received recently. "No…they didn't."

"They did." Sabo nodded solemnly. "To insure that it was safe for human passage, thy used your son as a guinea pig, Kudo-san, I'm sorry."

"My God…" Booker allowed himself to sit down, the full weight of realization crashing down on him. He and Hattori could've come up with thousands of theories, but none of them would lead them to the truth. Because they wouldn't have believed it, and they never would've found Jimmy on their own. Booker suddenly clenched his fists, remembering all the injuries on Jimmy's body; the burn scar on his neck especially. "So tell me then…who hurt my son?"

"Several people." Sabo answered. "But I assume you want to know the ones who traumatized him and hurt him the most, right?"

"Of course; I want those two brought to justice." Booker growled.

Sabo forced himself not to laugh. "Unfortunately, justice does not exist in one of those men's vocabulary, and the other simply abuses the term. They are in a different world, so bringing them in to your version 'justice' is impossible as well as impractical, so please don't go seeking vengeance, Booker-san."

"Tell me their names." The father demanded again.

With a sigh, the blonde answered. "One was a pirate named Blackbeard, he and his crew tortured your son and two other people for the hell of it. They doing it for the pure fun of it, and simply wanted to see your son be in fear."

"The other?" Booker didn't move.

"A former Navy Admiral named Akainu, his devil fruit power was magma. Your son spoke out of turn to him, and…that scar is the result I'm afraid." Sabo sighed sadly.

"And Jimmy told you all this?" Booker eyed the blonde suspicious of how he knew such exact detail.

"Ah, he did." As much as Booker was being flexible in his thinking, Sabo knew that the Den Den Mushi explanation would put him over the edge.

"What kind of world is it?" Agasa asked curiously. "Compared to this one?"

"It's a world of water consisting of nothing but islands; the main fractions are pirates, revolutionaries, and the marines, according to Vermouth. Though the ruling party is the World Government." Vivian answered.

"As fascinating as this all is, what does that have to do with happened to Gin?" Anita brought up. "They exhibit the same PTSD syndrome, but it's obvious that they didn't go through the same experiences."

"Eh. Vermouth brought that up too." Vivian nodded. "Their current theory is the portal itself: the portal might've caused mental side-effects they weren't aware of. Because of this, Vermouth told me they scrapped the whole project, which most likely means that there going to be no teleportation for them."

"It must've been extreme if they scrapped that; it was their pet project when I was there." Anita muttered, but her eyes widened when she looked at Sabo. "Now I think I know why Kudo wanted to bring you here, Sabo-san."

The blonde smiled. "You most likely got it…Haibara-chan."

"Eh? What would that be, Anita?" The doctor asked.

"Kudo brought you here, in hopes that Agasa and I would be able to recreate the Black Organization's invention and send you back to your own world. In repayment most likely, as well as to satisfy his own remaining curiosity." Anita figured.

"Ah, exactly." Sabo confirmed.

"You're serious?!" Agasa exclaimed. "That's incredible! I'd be happy to help, what do you think Anita-chan?"

"Of course, this is would be a scientific discovery that would analyze all dimensions of reality never even considered by science." She nodded. "For the sake of science, I will definitely pursue this!"

"Glad to know your heart's in the right place." Sabo sweatdropped and turned to the parents. "So now that you're aware of the situation, what do you plan to do now?"

"I don't know…but from what it sounds like: the Yakuza attacks and Vermouth's political campaign are not coincidences, so we need to find the connection there. But also, we need to figure out how Jimmy and Gin's PTSD fits into that timeline, because Vermouth didn't start her campaign until after Jimmy came back, which we'll have to assume was the same time as Gin-san." Booker nodded. "Vivian, did Vermouth tell you what condition Gin was in when they found him? What about where they found him?"

Vivian's eyes widened and thought about it. He was right, Sabo found Jimmy alone; Gin was not wit him. "Vermouth didn't tell me much in that regard, but…she did say that when she saw him after he came back: he was covered in bandages and his right arm and left leg were almost completely blown off. His prized weapon, the golden Zeliska was gone."

"He lost his Zeliska?" Haibara was clearly surprised. "That's his most prized weapon; he only brings that with him when he's certain he'll bring a victory to the entire syndicate."

"In other words, it's his ceremonial execution weapon." Agasa sighed. "To lose it in another world, and in a fight against Jimmy; his superiors were most likely not happy."

"I doubt it. But one thing's for sure…" She stared at her friend's peaceful face. "We need to ask more details from Kudo about this One Piece world, and then deduct what happened to him and Gin-san. With that, we might be able to interpret the Black Organization's actions."

"Agreed, we need to do that but…" Vivian smiled tiredly at her son. "Let's let him sleep…he's had enough for one day. He just got his secret out, and his parents and only allies left were forced to reconcile with each other, let's give him a break."

"Fine." Haibara sighed.

"You two should stay the night, I'll prepare the guest rooms." Booker insisted to Haibara and Agasa; he turned to Sabo who was still petting his son. "Sabo-san…until my son shifts enough, would you mind sitting there with him? I'll set up a room for you. I don't mean to bother you, but...that's the most sleep he's gotten since he got back."

"This is no problem. And that would be great, thank you." Sabo nodded politely.

"Also, Sabo-san…" Booker frowned slightly. "I apologize about earlier…my suspicions of you were harsh but…"

"It's fine, you're a father concerned about his son, that makes me happy." Sabo waved it off. "It's fine, Booker-san really."

"Thank you Sabo-san, have a good night." Booker went to follow his wife and the others upstairs.

"Good night." Sabo waved, but then put on a frown as Conan slept on him. "Call it pirate instinct, but something tells me…that the boat I was promised will not be ready."

**Elsewhere that Night**

Serena kept her gaze on the ground, refusing to look up at anyone; they were on the dock in front of a small sailboat. It was quiet and no one was around, she knew there would be no crime solvers here.

"Is this the one?" Terada smiled politely at her.

"Eh." She barely whispered.

"Good, don't worry…it will be a quiet demonstration." Terada got out a small remote and pushed a button.

**BURST!**

Like a light switch, the small sailboat burnt into smithereens in seconds, leaving only ashes in its wake.

"Hydrogen is such an underused chemical isn't it, Sebastian-san?" He smiled at her scared expression. "Please call Sabo-san tomorrow, and tell him to come to the estate…a new vessel will come to pick him up."

**Review please! Feel free to drop any concerns or questions!**


	7. Bread Crumb Trail

**Hey guys! Here's the next chapter! Now a lot happens in this chapter, so pay attention. More One Piece characters will be revealed in this chapter, and you may or may not get mad at me. But I promise...there will be more One Piece characters, and they will work with the plot...just trust me on this. Lastly, a surprise appearance will occur at the end of the chapter, and many of you may be surprised at who it is.**

**Anyways, read, enjoy, review!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece or Case Closed**

Conan woke with a start, and looked around himself; relief washed over him when he realized he was in his own home. He took in the surroundings, and realized he had been laying on his living room couch and it was early morning. Sensing someone beside him, he looked up and saw Sabo leaning against the couch arm, obviously trying to remain in his uncomfortable sleep. It dawned on Conan that the blonde had probably stayed with him all night to insure he'd go to sleep. Given yesterday's events, it was only natural to be concerned.

Yesterday's events…Conan suddenly covered his mouth, having the sudden urge to vomit. Running to the downstairs bathroom, he put his head in the toilet and started heaving. Due to the fact that he didn't have much food in him, it was mostly dry heaves, but his stomach was still insisting to purge. He suddenly felt a hand come to his back, he recognized the hand to belong to Sabo; the blonde didn't say anything but continued to rub circles into his back, and waited for the boy to be done. When Conan finally stopped, he sat himself down weakly on the bathroom floor, breathing heavily. He looked up at the blonde, who wore an expression of concern, worry, and even a bit of expectancy. "You okay now?"

"After yesterday, I doubt I'm going to be okay for awhile. I essentially lost all my friends, and potentially the love of my life; all because I didn't take yours and Vista's advice." Seeing Sabo's confusion, Conan continued. "The reason why I got so mad at you in terms of being honest with others was because I had already heard it from Vista-san, Ace-san, and Dragon-san. They spoke as if I didn't want to tell the truth, as if I didn't want to tell Rachel everything, as if…I chose this." He was no longer crying, but his voice was quite horse.

"I see." Sabo sighed, and gently picked Conan up and shifted him onto his back. "I'm going to get you some water, drink it slowly this time, all right?"

"Mmn." Conan nodded slightly and accepted the water, relieved at the soothing liquid on his burnt throat. "Thanks."

"It's fine, you had quite a rough night after all." Sabo pointed out.

"Yeah…sorry…I don't know what came over me back there." Conan muttered, embarrassed at his puking episode.

"The level of emotional and physical stress must've reached its limit in your body, so it had to react. It's okay, nothing to be ashamed of." Sabo smiled.

Conan smiled too. "You were Ace-san and Luffy-san's brother right?"

"Yeah why?" The blonde asked.

"That probably explains why you're good at this." Conan smiled. "Along with Rachel, I'm an only child and have never had the responsibility or comfort of siblings. The closest I've had are those three kids, and Haibara…it's kind of nice to have an older brother figure."

"What about Hattori-san?" Sabo pointed out.

"I think of him as a rival, and we would be brothers of the same age realistically. Whereas, you, I think are genuinely older than me." The boy explained. "If I may ask, was Luffy-san a handful when he was younger?"

"That doesn't even begin to describe it…" Sabo had blue lines remembering just how much trouble that little tyke was. "Ace was a handful too, but in a different way. Luffy was bouncy and energetic, everywhere and in everything at once. Ace was generally short-tempered and he fought a lot with Luffy cause he lost patience with him. I often kept the peace between them."

"Wow…" Conan had to chuckle. "Ace-san sounds like he grew up, but Luffy-san sounds like he didn't change at all."

"I would hope not. Despite how much trouble Luffy would get into sometimes, he never failed to cheer me or Ace up, yah know?" Sabo smiled. "It really would've been lonely without them, don't yah think?"

"Yeah…it would've." Conan looked downcast. "And I'm starting to feel what that's like now." Seeing Sabo's confusion, he continued. "I've been surrounded by friends and family I've taken for granted all this time; I could've spent more time with Rachel even in this form, rather than solving cases. I could've taught those kids more about soccer, I could've helped Rachel's dad with his taxes, I could've…done so much with each of them. Now…I don't even think Hattori's talking to me."

"Kudo…" The blonde frowned.

"It gets worse." Conan continued. "Even before I got turned into a kid, I had this terrible habit of lying that I didn't realize. My detective skills were discovered in middle school, but I wasn't debuted until high school; I became famous very fast, and ended up building a career for myself without much effort. I loved the fame, I loved the glory, and I loved solving the mysteries…it was quite fun. But…once I go to the top, I ended up neglecting the things that were truly important: Rachel, my family, and even Serena to an extent." Conan scratched his head. "I missed dates, class trips, and didn't even go on outings as much. It took one year, being turned into a kid, and several attempts on her life to make me realize just how much she meant to me. To see just how much see went through because of me…I missed my entire life because I got so caught up with being a detective." Conan mumbled. "Sabo-san…Luffy-san said that his dream was to become the Pirate King, and I told him that: my dream was to become the world's greatest detective."

"And?"

"Just how does Luffy-san do it?" Conan asked, confusing Sabo. "His crew knows everything about him almost, he keeps so many people close to him, but he's on his way to his dream. He fears nothing despite his small crew and the size of the World Government, he didn't even think anything of the Black Organization or what threat they might've possessed when he found out about my situation. All he said was that it was bad to lie. He scolded me over lying of all things."

"Sounds like Luffy." Sabo nodded.

"Yeah, and here I am: trapped in this little kid's body, who didn't trust his closest companions of accepting something as basic as the truth of his situation, and unintentionally isolated himself from all he truly cares about. I hurt those kids who looked up to me, I ended up causing a rift between Hattori and Kazuha, and worst of all: I hurt Rachel. I always thought I had to do things alone, and I never allowed myself to rely on anyone, so it was mind-boggling to me just how much success Luffy had despite doing the opposite essentially." Conan confessed.

"Luffy's never been one to think about consequences." Sabo sighed, making Conan look at him. "He's never been the type to sit and analyze every bit of evidence or think over different plans and options. He simply rushes in and does what he thinks is best, regardless of the outcome, because…he believes in himself, and he knows he's strong enough to take it."

"I never believed in my strength…just my intelligence." Conan confessed. "Intelligence goes a long way, but if you're not strong enough to back it up, you can only do so much to protect those close to you. I learned that in One Piece, and I learned that many times here."

"Kudo…if I may…did you keep lying cause it was easier on you?" Sabo asked.

"Rayleigh asked me the same thing, and I have to say yes, it does. Lying, you can say anything you want to cushion the situation, and it even dulls your own pain. But like bacteria, it spreads and festers if it's not remedied, and before you know it…you're living a lie." The boy agreed. "But the lie's over, I have nothing to hide now."

"Indeed. Kudo…why did you keep the secret later on? I can understand why wouldn't in the beginning, but…didn't it become obvious to you that your friends and family were going to get dragged into this Black Organization business anyways?" Sabo asked curiously.

"It…was becoming apparent that it was a possibility, I just wanted to remain in denial about it." Conan answered. "It felt like…that lie was protecting them…the more they didn't know, the less the truth could hurt them. Cause in the truth, lied those men that did this to me, and could kill them off whenever they wanted. It was what I became accustomed to, and how I had become used to operating. Lies had somehow become the truth for me, as much as I liked to say otherwise, I can't."

"And that's another reason why they're so upset, because they know that." Sabo figured. "None of your friends are stupid, especially Rachel-san."

"No she's not…I doubt she'll ever speak to me again, but…she's never been stupid." Conan smiled at her name.

"You, Rachel-san, and Serena-san have always been friends, yes?" Sabo asked.

"Yeah…we're all childhood friends." Conan nodded.

"Then you'll be forgiven…it'll take awhile…but you'll be forgiven." Sabo insisted. "As for those kids and Rachel's father…that'll take longer certainly, but…it'll happen hopefully."

"What about Hattori?"

"Let him and his girlfriend work out their own issues first, I say." Sabo shrugged. "You okay now?"

"I'm better…not okay for awhile, as I said…but better." Conan sighed. "Now I just need to plan in terms of the Black Organization."

"No." Sabo said bluntly.

"No?"

"No. Enjoy the morning, and relax yourself…otherwise…you'll send yourself into a frenzy all over again. And being stressed won't help anyone, right?" Sabo smiled.

"Yeah…" Conan nodded in defeat.

"Great! Glad that's settled! Now what do you want for breakfast?"

**With Rachel and Kazuha**

Kazuha sighed as she walked her friend to her school. Serena was supposed to show up for the task, but once again was absent. This was bad, after this, she had to take the train to Osaka home, otherwise she'd get into huge trouble with her and Heiji's family. She really didn't want to see Rachel this upset, and she certainly didn't want to leave the other girl with all that had happened, but…

"Damn it Serena, why haven't you called?!" Rachel's snap caused Kazuha to snap out of her trance. The other girl was tense, clutching her phone tightly, only ther verge of breaking it.

"Rachel!" Kazuha called out.

"Why you haven't you been to school?! Damn it, I need you Serena!"

**PLOW!**

She punched a phone post with her fisted hand, reducing it to pieces. Rachel started punching it relentlessly, screaming, cursing, letting every bit of frustration she had out. "Rachel…" Kazuha's eyes widened when she noted her friend's hands were bleeding. "Rachel!"

Kazuha tried to restrain her, only for her to let go suddenly and block a punch. The shock-wave was enough send a car's window to smithereens. Rachel's eyes were wide as were Kazuha's…both women lowered their fighting stances, giving proper distance to each other. "Kazuha-chan…"

"Rachel…" Slowly, the ponytail girl embraced her friend, and they slow sank to the ground. "I know…I'm mad too. I'm so mad that I want to put Heiji into a coma and ship Kudo off to Brazil or some other malaria-ridden country. But…this isn't the best way to deal with it, you know it Rachel."

"Then what is the best way to deal with this?! Tell me!" Rachel shouted, crying. "Jimmy's been lying to me this whole time! Hattori-san, Jimmy's parents, and even Agasa were covering it up! And to top it all off, there's now some weird criminal syndicate after us! Just how freakin' screwed up can this get?!"

"It is pretty freakin' screwed up…I'll agree." Kazuha nodded softly.

"And to top it off…my best friend isn't even talking to me right now! Serena hasn't answered her phone for two days straight, and…I really need her. She was always the one to cheer me up when me and Jimmy were fighting. But I can't get in touch with her…" Rachel sighed sadly.

Kazuha looked thoughtful for a moment before smiling. "I know! Let's have you skip school today and go visit her. The chances are, she's missed school again, and after tonight, you deserve a break. So what do you say? Let's play hookie!"

"Kazuha…" Rachel gave her a tiered smiled. "Un! Thank you!"

**Heiji, Moore, and FBI and CIA Agents Progress**

It was rare for the FBI and CIA to meet for coffee, it was unheard of when they met for coffee in public, but it never happened that they worked civilly together on the same case. Though the Metropolitan police were working on this case with them, they were already debriefed of their current status and theories, and were currently out collecting and surveying evidence. Not to mention…between Detective Moore and Heiji Hattori…it would've been less than awkward to explain the situation.

They were all on the same page as far as Jimmy Kudo's identity was concerned, which was why this private meeting was conducted. Moore and Heiji sat at opposite ends of the meeting table form each other, neither making eye contact. And considering last night…it was a very understandable, yet tense atmosphere.

"So…you mind explaining to me that even though my daughter and I are going through the biggest turmoil in our lives, I was forced to come in here?" Moore asked tensely.

"Stop complaining old man." Heiji replied.

"Shut up, you lying brat! After I found out you were in one the whole thing, you're lucky I didn't recolor the bricks on my building, with your blood!" Moore snapped standing up.

"And you're lucky you can even call yourself a detective after it's been let out of the bag, that Kudo's been solving all those cases for you!" Heiji stood up.

"I don't need that damned brat to do my own detective work!" Moore yelled.

"You do if you want to get to the correct conclusion!" The younger rebutted.

"Why you-"

"Gentlemen." James Black silenced them, making the two detectives realize that they were making spectacles out of themselves att he conference table. "Please take your seats."

Glaring, both did as they were told. Nodding, Black continued. "Now then…in light of Kudo's current physical and mental state, we will have to exclude him from any further progress in this investigation."

"But-" Eisuke tried to protest, but was stopped by Hidemi.

"He's right…Kudo needs to rest right now." His sister nodded.

"That's right, a good detective is only as good as his mindset to proper." Camel replied. "Why isn't Saguru here?"

"He said he had another meeting to get to, he said it was important." Heiji answered.

"Important enough to miss this progress report?" The only female member of the FBI asked.

"Apparently, let's not waste any more time. We've all got people to meet." James sighed. "Simply update him later, won't you Camel?"

"Of course sir." He nodded.

"Now then…from the data we've collected, it's been concluded that the Black Organization is supplied by private benefactors within the conservative parties of the Japanese Diet, and wealthy families that have connections that date back to the wartime Sengoku generals." Black started.

"Along with their international contracts, their income is essentially unlimited. This doesn't discount their supplies either; any country with a grudge against the US or China is going to be on their list of clients." Hidemi mumbled.

"Which means unlimited weapons." Eisuke mumbled.

"Indeed. What we don't know is when they established their connection to the Yakuza, as well as how they made that connection worldwide. We all know that the Yakuza has international offices, what's unusual is for those offices to be acting up like this." Camel said.

"Wait a minute, aren't the Yakuza and the upper class of Japan connected normally?" Jodie Starling pointed out.

"They are, but any connections are not made public. Though a lot of upper-class families have connection to Yakuza, for obvious reason, they don't like showing it for public disdain. The riches are only powerful if the masses follow them after all." Heiji answered. "All this, and we still don't know how this connects to the Black Organization, as well as how any of this has to do with Vermouth's campaign."

"We know that their goal is to reinstate active military Japan, right?" Moore asked. "So wouldn't it be logical if their goal was to establish Japan as an international threat?"

"Even if that were the case, Vermouth is playing it too safe right now. The Black Organization has always been about Revolution and change…" Eisuke mumbled and trailed off.

"Eisuke?" Hidemi frowned and looked at Hattori, who wore the same look of astonished shock. "Hattori-san?"

"I know what they're after…" Both boys mumbled at the same time.

**Serena's mansion**

Both girls frowned at the closed gate that hid the giant mansion. Not that it looked like it would make any difference; the mansion honestly looked like it was deserted. The lights were down, no cars were in the driveway, and there weren't any servants attending to the garden or anywhere like there normally was. To make things even stranger, the buzzer intercom was unresponsive. For all intents and purposes, it looked abandoned.

"Serena…" Rachel's eyes were wide with shock, neither girl were expecting this.

Kazuha was shocked too. Serena had only been missing for two days, and from what she could tell, there was no notice of moving, something was definitely not right. She turned to her friend, noticing Rachel hadn't moved. "Rachel…"

Suddenly, the long-haired girl sprinted and hopped over the gate with ease, and ran towards the front door of the manor across the massive lawn. "Oi! Rachel!" Kazuha shouted and quickly followed suit. Both being trained in martial arts, scaling a golden fence wasn't difficult.

"Serena! Serena! Answer! Answer me!" Rachel pounded on the door desperately.

"Rachel!" Kazuha forcefully yanked her off, she looked at the other girl with a solemn expression. "It's no use. I already checked into the windows…no one's home…all the furniture, the plants, everything's gone. I'm sorry."

"No…" Rachel sank to her knees. "I already had one friend abandon me…I can't take two."

"Rachel…" Kazuha murmured.

"Was it something I did? Am I not trustworthy…?" She continued.

"Rachel." Kazuha knelt beside her, and brought her to stand up with her. "It's okay…we'll find her, and pillow-force an answer out of her!"

"Hey! This is private property, you know." Both girls froze and turned around to see a group of strange looking boys, all wearing gang paraphernalia, and each seemed to have weird skin tones. The burly one in front seemed to be their leader, he had strangely silver skin, and wore a shark-fin as an accessory. He had a long black afro that went down his back, a read shirt, and strangely red eyes. This gang seemed to have a fish theme for some reason. The leader smirked and walked a little closer to them.

Kazuha glared and immediately got in front of Rachel. "You're one to talk, fatass! This is the Sebastian estate, and we happen to be friends with the daughter here!"

"Kazuha…" Rachel mumbled.

"Sebastian family?" The man laughed, as did his men. "I see, so you two must be the young Ojou-chan's friends, we were told you might come by looking for her. Sorry to say, but…she and her family don't live here anymore."

"What'd you say?!" Kazuha demanded. "That's impossible!"

"Serena…" Rachel got out from behind Kazuha, and glared at the stranger. "Where is she?! Where's my best friend?!"

"Oh…you don't know then? I would've assumed she would've told her best friend." The man shrugged.

"Tell me what?! What's going on?!" Rachel shouted.

"The little Ojou-chan's getting married, and by agreement, we get this mansion as our stronghold as the rest of our unit takes over." He smirked, indicating to his men breaking in the glass of one of the windows.

"Hey stop that!" Kazuha was about to run forward, but was thrown back by the leader. "You bastard! How dare you touch me?!"

"Eh…look at you…acting all high and mighty, as if the entire world is entitled to you." The man's smiled suddenly turned into a vicious glare. "I don't care what your relationship with that girl was, this manor is ours now, and you lowly creatures aren't allowed here! This is now Fishman territory!"

"Fishman? Lame name for a Yakuza branch name." Kazuha scoffed.

"It's not-" The man was cut-off

"What do you mean she's married?!" Rachel could care less who these men were, they knew where Serena was. "Where is she?! What have done with her?!"

"Relax. None of us would consider touching a human that way, she was simply pawned off like any good princess." He laughed. "Now leave, you're contaminating our property. We don't have her, so leave."

"Why you-"

"Where is she then? Tell me where Serena is and we'll leave." Rachel answered.

"They were in this city with a lot of old shrines and statues, real creepy place." He answered. "Now leave!"

"Who are you?" Kazuha glared deeply at him.

"Jones. I am the Revolutionary Leader of the New Fishman Army, Hody Jones." He gave them both a shark-tooth grin. "Nice to meet you, and by the way…" His men gathered in a circle around the girls. "I'm afraid you lost your chance to get out of here unscathed."

**Elsewhere in Japan**

"OI! I'm here!" A boy in Japanese school uniform opened the door to his classroom, only to find it empty. His eyebrow twitched in annoyance as hewalked in and looked around the room. "Aoko! This isn't funny! I have to meet Jien after school!" Honestly, if his childhood friend wanted to talk to him so badly, why didn't she just walk home with him like she usually did. In fact, she came with him to school with him like normal, and didn't indicated anything abnormal, so what happened?

"Kaito Kuroba, correct?" The boy whirled around and saw a large man with a serious expression. He was in a hat and dark trench coat, and wore sunglasses. Kaito looked at him warily before answering. "Depends on whose asking."

Without responding, the man reached into his pocket and pulled out several pictures, and handed them to the boy. Kaito accepted them, and immediately dropped them on a desk and stepped back, covering his mouth. In these pictures, was Aoko, unconscious, bound, and gagged to a chair, with a knife at her throat. "Who are you?! Tell me right now?!"

"Who I am is not important, I am simply part of an agency that scouts out talent like yours, and wish to create a community for people like you." The man insisted. "I am called Bourbon, and I have come here as a representative for my company."

"Where the hell is she?! Where's Aoko?!" He demanded fiercely.

"She's safe for now, and as long as you heed our directions, she will remain so." Bourbon put a hand up in defense.

"What do you want?!" Kaito growled.

"Nothing much, we just simply want you to do what your best at: we want you to steal something for us. That's all." Bourbon smiled.

"What?" Kaito's eyes widened.

"Yes…we know exactly who you are…Kaitou Kid."

**Review please! Yes! Hody Jones will be in the story, just trust me on this: it'll work! I decided to ad Kaitou Kid because it wouldn't make sense for him not to be involved in this I decided, and he'll add an important element to the story that Lupin can't provide. Don't get me wrong, I'm still using Lupin, but Kaitou will be needed too. Review or Pm me with any thoughts or concerns like usual. Later!**


	8. What was lost & What was Gained

**Hey guys! Here is the next chapter, and I hope you like it! Ask any questions that you may have!**

**Read, enjoy, review!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece or Case Closed**

Eva Kadan was one of the most respected lawyers in her field. Expert in virtually every kind of law there was, her specialty still remained in criminal investigations and divorce settlements; both of which she had personal experience. She had seen it all in her twenty-some years of practice, and accomplished many things in her lifetime. She was the mother of a regional karate champion, her separated husband was a caring, yet dim-witted detective, and as far as she knew- a lot of things in her life were taken care of. But she was starting to doubt all that.

Several days ago, she was called by Tomoko Sebastian, Serena' mother, and was asked to go to a remote area in Kyoto. It was curious, considering their main estate was in Tokyo, and they typically didn't have guests over at their other estates. Regardless, she had no reason to suspect anything foul, at least until she got there. The address lead her to a traditional Japanese manor that looked like it had been moved into just recently, even more curious.

She was shown in by several female servants, and was eventually lead in to a traditional Japanese waiting room, with a table and sitting pillows to complete the set. Several moments later, the servant returned with tea.

"Thank you very much." She thanked humbly. The girl bowed wordlessly and walked away. Frowning, she sipped her tea, despite knowing it was bad manners. There was a chill tonight, and she was starting to regret not bringing her gun. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the shogi door opened, and in walked an old Japanese man with two suited men. One she assumed was a bodyguard, and the other she assumed; this confused her- she was supposed to be meeting Tomoko, not these men. "Hello…" She greeted uncertainly.

"Ah yes! You must be the great Eva Kadan! The Doberman of the legal system!" The old man laughed heartily, imitating Jirokichi almost.

"Yes…I apologize sir, but to my understanding I was supposed to meet Tomoko Sebastian tonight, there was a matter she wished to discuss with me." The lawyer explained.

"Yes! Yes! And we're so pleased you could make it!" The old man replied. "Oh, I apologize! You must be wondering who I am."

"I find that matter curious, yes." Eva nodded.

"I am Jirochi Sebastian! Head of the Sebastian family." He smiled. This put Eva in even more unrest, to her knowledge Jirokichi was the family head, not this man in front of her. In fact, she hadn't even heard of this man.

"Really?" She replied. "I apologize Sebastian-sama, but no one in this family has ever mentioned you to me."

"Oh that's to be expected, unless if it's family business, none of us really talk all that much!" He laughed.

"I see…" Eva had the sudden urge to get out of there, but she forced it down. "Well if you don't mind, I would like to speak with Tomoko now. She called me out here on an urgent matter, and I'd like to see that her request is met."

"Actually Ms. Kadan…I was the one who asked her to call you out here." His voice turned from jolly to serious fairly quickly. "From what I heard of your reputation, you wouldn't have come out here alone to a complete stranger, and I'm afraid this matter is terribly private."

"Private enough to trust a stranger, Sebastian-sama?" She rose a brow.

"You are a stranger to me, yes. But you are no stranger to this family and it's past legal discrepancies." Now Eva was getting an idea of why she was called out here. "Tomoko and her husband trust you, and you have been known to preserve your client's confidentiality regardless of the case."

"Please don't compare our legal system to the United States. I do not protect criminals, and attorney-client privileges here are much different." She replied sharply.

"This is true, but the relationships between lawyer and client is much deeper I would say, which was why I asked for you specifically. We need someone we cant trust, and we need someone who is efficient." Jirochi smiled again.

"I see…where is Tomoko then? May I see her?" She was getting extremely anxious now.

"Of course. I think she should be the one to tell you the wonderful news anyways." He nodded at the man on his left, who whispered into his watch. Several seconds later, Tomoko appeared in a formal, dark blue kimono.

"Oh Eva! You came!" She hastily made her way over to the lawyer, and crouched down for a quick hug. "It's such wonderful news!"

"What is?" Eva returned the hug and monitored the woman as she went to sit by her supposed 'uncle'.

"Well…as you know, that brilliant woman, Masaba Onogoa-san is currently running an intense political campaign to reform Japan, and we're in complete support! Leading to big changes you know!" Tomoko smiled.

"That's good…" Eva honestly didn't support that woman, and honestly had no interest in getting involved in politics. "So what exactly did you want to see me for?"

"Oh it's wonderful news! Serena! Get in here!" She called.

The sliding door was opened by on the female servants again, and in walked Serena dressed in a formal engagement kimono. Eva almost choked on her own breath when she saw how pale her daughter's best friend was. Serena had lost weight, her skin was paler, and she looked like she hadn't slept since her mother had called the lawyer. The makeup to cover the bruises on her face didn't go unnoticed by the experienced lawyer; she dealt with enough domestic abuse cases to know foundation-coverage. "Serena…."

"We called you here to arrange the documents for the marriage of my daughter, Serena Sebastian, and his nephew Terada Okozaki." Tomoko clapped her hands together in excitement.

Forcing her voice to remain controlled, she asked: "I see…where is Okozaki-san? I'm afraid I cannot start any official arrangements unless he or his legal representative are here."

"Oh my, how careless of us! I'll arrange another lawyer to come down here right away, we have many on sight actually!" Tomoko quickly left to phone some of the guest houses on the property.

"It's time for change and celebration, Ms. Kadan. And what better way to start off the new era with a marriage?" Jirochi smirked.

"Yes…marriages are supposed to be used for such occasions." She nodded stiffly and quickly tried to meet Serena's eyes. Getting her alone right now was impossible, so she'd have to do what she could from her position. "Serena…how is school?"

The girl looked up, and her eyes looked as dead as her skin. This girl who was so expressive and prided herself on her appearance, was disturbingly quiet.

Her uncle grew uncomfortable with her silence, so he answered. "School for her is excellent as expected, but unfortunately she will need to be privately tutored for the remaining of her education. She will soon be a married woman after all."

"Yes…" Eva looked critically at Serena, hoping some message of language of indication would be reached between them both. "It is important to prioritize."

"Indeed! While we're waiting for that other lawyer, let's have some more tea!" But as his bodyguards were pouring everyone's tea, Eva shifted her knee up to bump the table enough for the tea pot to spill on Jirochi. "YOU IDIOTS! HOW DARE YOU!" You blamed the incident on the men since they were the ones holding the tea, smart move.

At that moment, Serena finally mouthed a message to Eva, confirming the older woman's fears.

'Help me…'

**XXXXXXXX**

Kaitou Kuroba had always believed in his abilities as a thief. He only stole from museums or the rich, and was always careful to insure no one ever received any damages or repercussions for his actions. This especially for old man Jirokichi and Aoko's father. He was doubtful that this would be the same. This was the biggest heist he had ever pulled, but it was unfortunately, a heist he wanted no part in.

The Black Organization wanted him to steal a several documents and every password that each major Dietary member had. Politics had never been the thief's greatest subject, so he honestly had no idea what these were for, and it honestly didn't matter to him in the slightest. All he could think about was Aoko, and how she was bound and gagged alone somewhere in a dark warehouse. He honestly didn't think those bastards would keep their word, but he knew that if he didn't cooperate they'd most likely torture her to persuade him.

Even if they did kill the girl after his deed, they wouldn't put her through any additional suffering. It was a cruel rationalization, but it was what he was forced to contend with for now. It was as if he was forcing himself to swallow bits of iron, and the salty taste of fish oil was still on his tongue. Then again, it might've been from the vomiting.

Popping a vent, he jumped down to the ground, his white cape swishing and took in his surroundings. Out of all the buildings in Tokyo, this one had to have the highest and most up-to-date security system. It wasn't hard to break into, but the items those creeps wanted required him to collect finger print samples, saliva and hair collections, and even voice recordings of certain passwords. Normally, pulling a heist at this level on short notice would be impossible even for him, but strangely, those Black Organization creeps provided him with the materials. When he asked them why they wouldn't be the ones to get the items, they said they weren't obligated to answer him.

"You'd think they'd want open communication." Kaito sighed, making his way down the hallways as he was instructed to. Those creeps even gave him a map and circled which room to go into. Additionally, they even provided him with instructions of where the documents and passwords were hidden. This bothered Kaito considerably. If they knew all this, why were they trusting a complete stranger to carryout this task when they had more than enough means to commit the crime themselves? What did they need him for exactly?

Turning the doorknob, Kaito speculations ceased for now and focused on the task at hand. Getting out one of the fingerprints provided to him, he walked over to the desk in the luxurious office. The desk was beautiful Japanese Maple, hand crafted, a one-of-a-kind antique, unusual for a politician to use a family heirloom like this. Remembering the instructions, he placed the finger print thumb under the desk, and green light started blinking before a compartment was lowered from underneath the desk. It was a manila folder with the documents he was supposed to retrieve, and very carefully…he took them and punched in the security code in a keyboard under the files so the alarm wouldn't activate.

Curiosity gripped him as he scanned through the documents quickly, only to be extremely confused. These documents were rather random in content, making the thief wonder if it was some type of code. The documents in question were: a map of some random part of the Atlantic Ocean, charts of major Diet members and their family history stemming back to the Sengoku era, and the weirdest of all- Kaito wasn't even sure if he was seeing this right. He was sure that it was a copy but…it looked to be a laminated copy of the Constitution of Japan in its original copy in 1947 after WWII.

Kaito could only guess what the intentions behind these documents were, but didn't have time to think of it. Next, he proceeded with his next task and left the room, heading for the intelligence mainframe. He pulled out another finger print, but also brought out a hair sample and cotton swab of saliva. After going through two solid metal doors, Kaito was met with wall-to-wall computers and blinking lights. Going over to one of the smaller computers, he type the information he had been instructed to memorize, and got out a flashdrive. Plugging the device in, he typed quickly onto the computer and started downloading the passwords and encryptions that Bourbon-bastard had asked for. After the deed was done, he quickly took the tiny device out and proceeded with his exit.

But this escape was not going to be as smooth as he was expecting. After opening the door, and looking down the dark hallway, the lights suddenly turned on. Jumping, Kaito looked around himself frantically, trying to get his bearings.

"Hey!" Expecting a guard, he turned around, only to be faced with several burly-looking Yakuza members. He could never forget the tattoos in his previous encounters. Choosing to ignore this for now, he threw a smoke bomb at them and ran.

**BAM!**

The next thing Kaito knew was being knocked down by a harsh punch. Struggling to get up, he looked up and saw another Yakuza member with a horrible red sunburn and seemed to be very short and stout. He was with several others who seemed to have a sea-themed gimmick going on.

"What the-" Kaito was hoisted up roughly by the two men, and turned around. He felt himself being forced to his knees as he heard high heels approaching him from several feet away. He looked up an saw a beautiful woman in red pencil skirt and suit jacket; she wore nylons and black high heels. She was accompanied by the two Yakuza men he saw originally. The woman kneeled down to him, and removed his mask and hat, despite his head shaking.

"Calm down…we knew your identity to begin with. There's no need to struggle." The woman said calmly. "Daruma-san…please treat him a little gentler, we need him presentable for tomorrow's viewing".

At that, the sunburn-guy and the other fish themed guys glared. "Don't give us orders human. Be lucky you have our cooperation at all."

'Human? What are they talking about?' Kaito thought.

"Yes, yes, Fishman are indeed a superior race that only we humans can dream of ever becoming. Are you done yet? We have business to take care of." The woman waved them off.

"Watch it." Daruma glared, but accepted it for now. "We're blowing this joint, the boss said all we had to do was capture this guy for yah and we did." They dropped Kaito after tying his hands with twine, and left him there at the woman's thief. The fish-themed men walked off, and didn't bother to say goodbye.

Looking up at his captors, Kaito mustered some words. "I'm assuming you're with that Bourbon-bastard."

"Yes, in our group, I am called Vermouth, but you may know me as the Prime Minister candidate, Masaba Onogoa." She smiled.

Kaito was stunned and asked: "What was the point of doing this to me? What did you gain by putting me through all this?"

Chuckling, the woman reached into Kaito's white jacket and pulled the files and passwords he stole. "You will see tomorrow Kaito-kun, but I want to thank you for retrieving these documents on the behalf of my colleagues and I."

Looking down in defeat, Kaito trembled at his next question. "Aoko…please…do whatever you want to me, just release Aoko…"

"Don't worry, she's already safe with her father." Kaito's head shot up at the woman's words.

"We weren't planning on killing her, dear boy. We simply needed to pose her for that picture you saw. After the photograph was taken, she was dropped off at her father's house, rest assured." Vermouth informed him.

"And why should I believe you?" Kaito growled.

She reached into his front left pocket, making Kaito flinch. She took out his cellphone and showed it to the thief. "See for yourself." On his phone screen he saw about ten text messages from Aoko that had been sent to him during the heist. He kept his phone on airplane mode during his jobs for obvious reasons, and had no reason to check it. Putting the phone in her purse, the woman spoke again. "We had no reason to kill the girl, we simply needed her as a stage prop, nothing more."

"Then what is my purpose exactly?" The thief growled.

"You will find out tomorrow, but for now…please relish the moon tonight. You won't be able to see it for awhile most likely."

**XXXXXX**

It was late at night by now, and things were calm at the Kudo home. Everyone was at a relative understanding with each other, and things had calmed down enough for rational discussion, much to Conan and Sabo's relief. Other than Vivian, everyone was still kind of skeptical of the whole One Piece-thing, but after a peaceful day of eating breakfast, lunch, dinner, and small activities in between, open discussion was now in session.

Conan was sitting outside, admiring the sunset. Feeling strangely relaxed for some reason. "So…" He turned to Haibara, who came to sit outside to join him. "This other world you went to, what was it like?"

Smiling, Conan reminisced his time with Luffy and the Strawhats, Whitebeard and his crew, and the other people he had met. "It was a strange world compared to ours that was for sure. The world was completely covered in water, islands are the only land masses available, and the main division of power came down to pirates, marines, and government officials."

"Pirates and marines huh?" Haibara repeated. "Must've been rough for you. Did the Navy treat you well?"

"Hardly the Navy and World Government collaborated with the Black Organization to abduct me. The pirates were the people who helped me, and if not for the Strawhat Pirates I wouldn't even be here." Conan frowned. "Not only was I facing a military and intelligence agency chasing me, but my health was rapidly deteriorating as well. I was basically a freshwater fish dumped into a saltwater aquarium, the atmosphere didn't bode well for my body, and I almost died."

"So how'd these Strawhats save you?" Haibara asked.

"Because I was traveling between islands, I actually ended up meeting them one by one. Some were more pleasant than others." Conan sweatdropped remembering his meetings with Nami and Robin in particular. "But truly…I owe my life to Monkey D. Luffy, captain of the Strawhats, and future King of the Pirates."

"King of the Pirates?" Haibara repeated.

"In that other world, there was a man named Gol D. Roger, who was known as King of the Pirates during his time. Before he was executed, he announced that he hid his treasure and it was up for taking to anyone who finds it first. Ever since his execution, pirates all over the globe in that world have been trying to find it. In that, whoever finds it, becomes the next Pirate King." Conan smiled, remembering Luffy's passion.

"I see." Haibara nodded. "And Sabo hails from that world?"

"Yeah. I didn't meet him there, but he's Luffy's and Ace's adopted brother, so I trust him." Conan explained.

"Ace?" Haibara repeated.

"Ah. Portgas D. Ace. He's the second commander in Whitebeard's crew." Conan smiled. "He's also Luffy-san's older brother."

"Whitebeard?" At this point, the little scientist considered stopping Conan's rambling. It was good that he was talking enthusiastically again, but she was still light-headed from the fact that another world even existed at all.

"Yeah, he's-"

"Tell me later, for now we need to strategize in what our next actions will be." The girl interrupted.

Looking down, Conan nodded. "Ah. With Vermouth running for Prime Minister, there's no doubt that the Black Organization has an instant-win plan up their sleeve. And in light of their recent activities, I say the first thing we do is discredit Vermouth, or at least start the process of exposing those bastards." Haibara turned to him in surprise. "You heard me, if they're playing hardball, we have to use similar tactics."

"It's not that I don't agree so much as…I'm surprised. You're movements are so conservative normally." The girl responded.

"We can't afford to be conservative anymore. We're both out in the open now, the Black Organization has moved forward with whatever plans they have, and we have to take drastic actions. Haibara, what connections do the Black Organization have with other crime syndicates? Anything international?" Conan asked.

"Their main partners are the Yakuza in terms of gun trade and territory surveillance, there are also plenty of left-wing extremist of the Diet who support them secretly. Additionally, they have built up an international clientele and customer loyalty, and lastly, the old patriarchal families that stem back to the Sengoku era. Those families have many of their members in the higher ranks of the Yakuza, to insure the economy between the underworld and the upperworld are balanced." Haibara explained. "So as you can see, they were never weak on resources or support."

"Explains why Gin-san could afford such a nice car." The boy scoffed. "Okay, so the first thing we need to do is expose Vermouth's ties with the Yakuza, that should be the easiest. It wouldn't be safe to expose the entire syndicate at that point, but our priority needs to be stopping their train in its tracks."

Nodding in agreement, Haibara asked: "What about Hattori-san and the others? Are we to assume we are without support other than the people in your house at the moment?"

"Until we hear otherwise, yes." Conan knew it wasn't going to be easy, he knew he'd be screwed if Haibara and Agasa weren't with him. "Anything else?"

"Well there's-"

"JIMMY!" Both kids jumped out of their socks and turned to see Agasa, who bore a frantic look on his face. "ANITA! JIMMY! GET IN HERE QUICK!"

"What's going on?!" Conan ran inside with Haibara. He saw his dad and mom, both bore terrified looks. He turned to see Sabo, who wore a respective frown. "What's wrong?! Tell me!"

Booker saw his son, and handed the phone over to his wife. Calmly and stiffly, he walked over to Conan, and knelt down to his level, putting his hands on his shoulders. "Jimmy listen to me…I don't want you to panic after I tell you this okay? We are going over to Detective Moore's place, and we are going to discuss this rationally. Is that understood?"

"Dad…just tell me." Conan was getting more scared by the minute.

"It's Rachel." Immediately, the boy felt as if his whole world had been flipped. He felt nauseous all over again, and he almost stopped his father from finishing his explanation. "She and Kazuha were attacked at Serena's mansion."

Forcing himself to swallow, he asked: "Are they okay? Is Rachel okay?"

"They're fine…they're a bit beat-up but they're fine." Booker explained evenly.

"What's going on?! Why would they be attacked at Sebastian's residence?!" Haibara demanded.

"That's other thing." Vivian spoke softly. "Apparently, Serena had missed school for the past few days and has been out of contact. We suspect she's missing. Her family hasn't replied to any contact either."

"What?" Haibara couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"There's one more thing." Sabo spoke up boldly, looking directly at Conan. "The attackers appeared to belong to a group of Yakuza who seem to be obsessed with the ocean. Called themselves fishmen."

Conan felt his heart literally stop in his chest. Fishmen were here…in his world. Just what the fuck was going on?!

**Review please! If you have any questions leave it in the review or PM box! Later!**


	9. Coming up for Air

**Hey guys! Here's the next chapter, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece or Case Closed**

For once in his life, Kaito Kuroba felt caught. He was locked in shackles in some kind of underground prison, and apparently was surrounded by water. The door in front of him was stainless steel, there was a window that indicated his undersea status, and the only oxygen he was receiving was through an air vent. An air vent that would close up if he did something his captors did not like, or might combust if he used the wrong elixir. The walls themselves were flimsily, made of sheet rock or something. So even if he did free himself from the shackles, he had no way of getting out. He'd either suffocate from blowing up his oxygen supply, or drown from the water flooding him.

He was beaten and exhausted, but at least he was alive, and at least he knew Aoko was alive. He also knew that Jin knew he was missing, and that his faithful butler was making preparations at this very moment. Despite how teasing his butler could be, the old man cared about him deeply, and would do everything in his power to save him. The problem was: Jin had no idea where he was, and he hadn't even told his butler he had gone out the night before. So even with Jin's experience…Kaito was having doubts at the moment. And with how extreme the setup was in his case, he had right to be worried.

'Maybe an electrical problem will happen, and I can cross the wires.' He thought. Sudden footsteps got his attention, and he immediately stilled his movements. The peeping slide of his door slid open, revealing the familiar eyes of Vermouth.

"We would offer you a change of clothes, but we want you to look your best for tonight." The woman said to him.

"What? We going to an art gala?" Kaito scoffed.

"No, but we will be in the public's eye." Vermouth shrugged.

"I see…so that's your angle…you're using me as a conspiracy cover up to gain the Diet's trust. No…not just the Diet…with me, you gain the police's trust as well." Kaito glared heavily.

"Very good…that's the pain about being a public figure, it requires constant maintenance. Should one leak occur, you will simply be replaced." Vermouth sighed.

"True…and as someone who plays public figures all the time, you'd know that especially wouldn't you?" The thief figured. "I don't know who you are or what scam you're running here lady, but know that you're not going to get away with this."

"Do you have any idea how helpless you sound right now?" She asked.

"I have right to sound helpless in this situation, don't I?" The young man retorted. "I admit it…you got me good. You made me think my best friend had been kidnapped, and you gave me no reason to suspect that you would let her live. I had no idea if she had seen your face or not. So yes…for right now…I'm defeated."

"For right now huh? Quite confident aren't you?" Vermouth chuckled.

"You're not the first crime syndicate I've tangled with." Kaito shrugged.

"True…you have an exemplary record." Vermouth chuckled. "But you've never dealt stopped us. Your meal will be given to you momentarily…please behave yourself or it will be given intravenously." The eye slot closed, and he heard the woman's heels walk away.

"Heh…" Kaito chuckled. "No…I've never stopped you guys…but if my memory serves…you guys have shot at me before."

**XXXXXXXX**

Agasa and Booker's cars screeched to a halt in front of the Moore's detective agency. Conan and the others dashed out of the vehicles and ran up the stairs to the apartment. The young detective swung the door open. "RACHEL?!"

Everyone in the room snapped their heads up to meet Conan's gaze. Rachel and Kazuha were bandaged around their arms and legs, and even around their stomachs slightly. The girls had scratches and bruises all over their bodies, and bore defeated expressions upon their faces. Heiji had his back leaning against the wall, his arms were crossed and his face told an angry expression. Rachel's dad was no better, in fact, he was steaming. He was smoking, had a neutral expression, but his hands were trembling madly.

Sabo, Agasa, Booker and Vivian, and Sabo ran in after him and stopped short. All were stunned at the sight before them. "Richard…"

"Great…as if this day couldn't get any worse." He sighed, putting out his cigarette. "I've been trying to get a hold of the Sebastian family for hours, and haven't had any luck. Apparently, they up and left the estate without telling anyone. Furthermore, Serena's missed school for the past few days."

Vivian took a breath as she saw her childhood friend's daughter. "Rachel…" She stepped forward and cupped her face. "Who…?"

"She's gone…" Rachel mumbled. "Serena…she's gone…" Her face lowered, and tears started streaming again.

"Oh Rachel…" Vivian pulled the girl into a gentle embrace. "What happened to you…?"

"The Yakuza…they took over." Kazuha clenched her hands. "This weird branch called themselves the Fishman army or something came in, and took over the place! Bastards surrounded us!"

"Were you hurt?" Booker asked carefully.

"No…we managed to kick them in the balls, and ran for it. But…it was weird…their bodies…it wasn't normal." Kazuha seethed in remembering it.

"What do you mean?" Agasa asked.

"According to Kazuha they were as hard as rocks, and their bodies were literally built like tanks. We have videotaped evidence of one of the guys, crashing through the gates chasing the girls from Kazuha's phone." Heiji sighed. "Our theory is: they were artificially strengthened for combat purposes, but we obviously need to get closer for proof."

"What's the word on Sebastian?" Haibara spoke up.

"According to this Hody Jones character, they said she had been married off to a Yakuza heir, and that this family had it long time and coming." Richard replied. "We dug up some old financial records of the Sebastian family, apparently there was some old deal that was done with the Yakuza decades ago, and the deadline apparently was approaching. Originally, it was supposed to be Serena's sister, but because she got married, the younger sister was brought up to the chopping block."

"What was the nature of the debt?" Booker asked.

"It was an old deal made back during World War II when the US was occupying Japan. There weren't many details available, but apparently the atom bomb on Hiroshima wiped out more than just some of their houses, the bank that held all of their accounts was destroyed, and with no financial records or history to their names, they were left penniless." Richard answered. "The Yakuza, being one of the only remnants of power of Japan at the time, came in and saved them on a golden chariot essentially."

"And like a genie, they got everything they wised for, but with a twist." Vivian sighed. "The Yakuza would've had people eyeing the Sebastian's gorwing influence, so once the atomic bomb hit they saw their chance. But because of their traditionalist routes, they would've needed a female member from the Sebastian family. The establishment of marriage, but they would be in charge of the inheritance."

"But why wait until now?" Kazuha inquired. "I mean…there had to be more than Serena and her sister in terms of girls."

"The old-money families of Japan have numerous debts wit the Yakuza, they probably figured that they should wait to cash in on it." Heiji replied. "So the basic situation is: Serena's been forced into an arranged marriage, which is currently being forestalled."

At this, Conan looked up. "How do you know that?"

Heiji glanced at the other detective briefly before responding. "Because…they asked Rachel's mom to customize a marriage license between them."

Vivian snapped her head at Heiji. "Eva's involved?"

"Yeah…she called me last night and told me all about it." Richard spoke up. "She's still digging up dirt on the Sebastian family, but right now…this isn't looking good. The guy Serena's being forced to marry is some punk named Terada, and this weird guy's replaced Jirokichi as the family head."

"Where is Jirokichi?!" Conan demanded.

"We don't know, but Eva's thinking that he's on the compound somewhere." Richard answered tersely.

"Dad, where is Serena?!" Rachel demanded. "You've been refusing to tell me since Hattori-san got here!"

Conan blinked and looked at Heiji and then understood. Rachel's dad told him, but not the girls; if Rachel knew where Serena was…she'd be on the first tram there. "Rachel…I've already had to see my daughter come home beatup, I don't want to run the risk of never seeing her again."

"I'll find out eventually, you know." Rachel argued.

"And I'll be there to stop you with tranquilizers and benedryl, how do yah like that?!" The worried father yelled.

"Stop it! What is wrong with you two?!" Haibara exlciamed. "This isn't the time to be arguing!"

"I don't want to hear that from you, yah fake child syndrome case!" Moore shot.

"Why you-" Haibara was about to punch the guy.

"It's Kyoto." Kazuha's statement stopped everyone. "I remember that Hody Jones guy talking about old structures and tourism, the only place like that in Japan would be Kyoto."

"Also one of the main Yakuza bases." Heiji pointed out. "A lot of old money families set up bases there."

"If that's the case, what course of action would we take?" Agasa asked. "Serena is of legal age to be married, and they could easily homeschool her the rest of her education. So really…the only thing stopping them right now is Eva. She's most likely buying as much time as she can for the poor girl."

"Where's Serena's mother?! Why is she okay with this?! What about her sister?!" Rachel demanded.

"Her mother is insanely on board with this whole thing, mainly cause she feels like this is the only way to save their family's wealth. And as far as her sister goes…Eva didn't say, so I'm assuming she doesn't know." Detective Moore replied.

"So what are we supposed to do then?! Just leave Serena?!" Rachel demanded.

"Legally, there's not much we can do." Heiji sighed. "That legal crusader will probably put in whatever loopholes she can, but in terms of illegal activity…there isn't much."

"What about the fact that it's a Yakuza?" Haibara pointed out.

"He may be a Yakuza during crime time, but otherwise, they're just ordinary business people making a transaction." Heiji shrugged.

"So that's it then?! We're just leaving her?!" Rachel practically shouted and stood up, heading for the door. "Screw this! I'm going to save her!"

"Rachel!" Conan went to grab her arm.

"Let go! What do you care about what happens to Serena?! You're too busy playing detective anyways!" She yanked her arm away.

Conan glared and rushed to block her path. "Rachel…"

"Out of the way Jimmy…I mean it. I'm angry, you've lied to me all this time, and I'm worried sick for my bet friend whose actually been there for me thick and thin. Don't think I won't hesitate to punch you." She clenched her fists.

"Rachel…" Conan looked down but held his ground. "If you want to hit me, fine, go ahead, I deserve it. But I'm not letting you pass. Not when I know what you're going up against."

"What do you mean?!" Rachel narrowed her eyes. "More secrets then Jimmy? What else could you possibly be hiding?"

"It's not about what I'm hiding at this point, so much as what I fear I'll have to tell you." The boy admitted. "I don't think you're going to believe me when I say this but…those men who attacked you and Kazuha…they weren't human."

Rachel was silent for a moment before responding. "Jimmy…please just move. Seriously…before I break every bone in your body."

"It's the truth!" The boy shouted. "I know it sounds crazy, but it's the truth!"

"Stop talking nonsense and get out of my way!" Rachel shouted and brought her fist down.

Conan felt himself get dragged out of the way, avoiding the floor-cracking punch. Looking up, Conan saw a neutral-looking Sabo. It was then the small detective realized just how quiet the tophat man had been all this time. "That was close wasn't it?"

Rachel looked up at the blonde, realization dawning on her. "You…you're the one we found with Jimmy. Tell me…are you in on this whole thing too? It just seems that as the days go by, my life makes less and less sense. One best friend is stolen from me, and the other has been lying to me all this time. And now…stories about monsters."

"Ah, it has been a hard few days for you I imagine…but…this isn't the time to be attacking each other now is it?" Sabo replied. "After all…someone whose trained in self-defense shouldn't be reduced to a random bully."

Rachel clenched her fists, she couldn't deny the truth in Sabo's words, but she wasn't ready to give up either. "My best friend is being held captive, I have the right to try and defend her."

"Yes, you do." Sabo nodded. "She's a sister to you isn't she?" Rachel looked at him weirdly, but nodded. "Good…would your sister really encourage you to act like that?"

"No…Serena would never want me to get hurt. And from what you're saying…I'm assuming there are more of those Fishman guys involved, right?" Rachel sighed, and let her hands fall. "It's true…when Kazuha and I landed kicks on them, they didn't even flinch. It was like kicking a steel wall. You're telling me that what Jimmy is saying is true? That they aren't human?"

"No. They aren't." Sabo sighed.

"Then what are they? I don't care how unbelievable the information is at this point. If it'll help save Serena, I want to hear it." Rachel sank to her knees.

Looking to everyone, the group gave Sabo the okay to tell Heiji, Kazuha, Rachel, and Detective Moore. Conan nodded in final approval, but spoke before Sabo. "Yeah…Rachel…these men who attacked you and Kazuha…they're not human as I said. They're…what are called Fishman. They're ten times stronger and faster than humans, and are much more durable in battle."

"How come we've never heard of these superhero villains till now?" Detective Moore snorted. He recalled aqua mythology references, but none seemed to quite match.

"Of course no one would here of Fishman. We hear of mermaids and mermen…but never something like fishmen. That's a term that's not used in this world, that's not a term even found in this world." Conan spoke.

"Kudo…you're scaring me." Heiji stated.

"I know it sounds crazy, but please hear me out. When I was gone for two weeks, you and dad searched for me relentlessly. I'm sorry you guys were put through all that, and that I'm continuing to put you through chaos. But in saying all that, aren't you guys the least bit curious of where I was?" Conan pointed out shakily.

"We wanted to ask you, but we wanted to wait till you were ready." Hattori responded in annoyance. "Now you feel like talking?"

"Yeah…I do." Conan looked up at everyone. "I need to tell you."

"Fine then Kudo." Heiji decided to play along. "Where were you?"

"I was in the same world that those fishmen come from, I even stopped by their home island, I was in the world of One Piece." Conan began.

**XXXXXXX**

Jodie Starling looked at her colleagues in silence and slight worry. No one had said a word since the blowup at Moore's Detective agency the night before, nor did anyone want to think about it. Really, Kudo's secret couldn't have come out a worse time. And Vivian's actions with the prime suspect, Sabo, didn't help matters. But for whatever reason, the famous actress demanded to be allowed to bail the blonde out, which relinquished their only lead in the case. If you could even call this a case anymore.

As if things weren't bad enough, their beneficiary funds form the Sebastian family had been frozen, and more and more Diet representatives were pulling away from them, siding with the more conservative parties. There was a new police department or something forming in central Tokyo, which was fine, but it was rare for the police departments to get into financial rivalries with each other.

Starling couldn't help but feel that Vermouth was behind this. That woman's political ploy was beyond brilliant; even if she wasn't the top dog of the Black Organization, she sure as hell was pulling a lot of strings. There was no way that this was coincidence; Vermouth was pulling the police's funding sources, and without them, their investigations and equipment wasn't going to last long. The metropolitan Tokyo police department was especially vulnerable. The FBI and CIA were currently relying on them for investigation, housing, and legal statuses. They were on their own here, and knew it. She wondered when they would be completely alone.

Starling turned to her colleague, who had been absent at the earlier meeting. "Saguru-san…where were you?"

"Trying to get in touch with someone." The blonde replied.

"That's it?" She frowned.

"That's all the information you require. He didn't pick up anyways." He waved her off.

"We're in the biggest investigation of our lives, and you choose now to be scret?!" She screeched.

"Starling." Black spoke. "It's fine, I told him it was okay."

"We already have one obnoxious Brit, we don't need another." Hidemi spoke up, indicating Camel.

"Excuse me for working, and getting actual information." He snorted. "And where have you been, other than babysitting your little brother?"

"Shut it." The CIA heiress growled.

"Oneechan." Eisuke mumbled.

"Enough. Where are we on the investigation?" Black grumbled. "Legally…do we have any power right now?"

"There have been several Yakuza attacks all over Eastern Europe, particularly the countries that Vermouth mentioned, and the suspicion of 'former' Yakuza member running that upcoming police department is true. Each person they're hiring over there has a history of Yakuza association of some level, and some vigilante group of some kind is also being recruited. The New Fishman Revolutionary Army; must be marine activists or something I imagine. They even surgically modified their bodies to imitate different kinds of fish." Camel stated and produced a file. Opening it, he tossed a bunch of photos around to his colleagues. "Not much is known about them, other than that they have an obsession with the ocean, and have made some kind of agreement with the Yakuza."

"Whose in charge them?" Starling asked.

"The first picture, the burly man named Hody Jones. Since the Sebastian family went missing, they've setup base in their mansion, and have claimed all rights and ownership of the place." Camel answered.

"What about Serena-chan?!" Eisuke shot up.

"We're not entirely sure, but apparently she might be getting forced into an arranged marriage to settle an old debt the Yakuza called up." Camal sighed.

"I don't mean to sound cold, but we still don't know how this all connects to the Black Organization." Saguru pointed out.

"We don't know for sure, but one connection is indisputable." Black heaved a heavy sigh. "Vermouth's political campaign and all this recent Yakuza movement, is most definitely not independent of each other. And to make matters worse, we still don't know how Kudo's return and that blonde play into this."

"Yeah…now that you mention this, the Black Organization started acting up a little after Kudo returned." Eisuke nodded but then widened his eyes. "Wait…are you saying that Kudo's involved somehow?! That can't be it?! It has to be that Sabo-guy!"

"The explain why Kudo's mother bailed him out. It's possible that Booker and Vivian suspect their son of something, and collected Sabo before we could question him. I'm sorry Eisuke-kun…but until we know more about the situation, we still have to name Sabo-san and Kudo-kun prime suspects." Starling sighed.

"This is crazy! You're just making up theories cause you have nothing else to go on!" Eisuke shouted.

"Ototo!" Hidemi tried to pull him down.

"No! Kudo's a good person! I won't let you guys persecute him!" The glasses boy exclaimed.

"It's nice to have those thoughts, but not entirely ideal for our situation." Camel sighed. "None the less, I agree with Hondo-kun. It wouldn't be logical for it to be Kudo-kun, and there isn't any evidence to point to Sabo-san. So I say we leave off the conspiracy theories for now, and simply focus on tying the Black Organization in with the Yakuza, before we're run out of our jobs by a crime syndicate."

The group grew silent at that, agreeing with the blonde.

**BAM!**

Police Chief Megurine's sudden appearance made everyone jump. "Turn on the news! You need to see this!"

Blinking, Black did as he was asked, and everyone practically fell out of their seat when they saw who it was on TV. Starling clenched her fists at the face on the screen- Vermouth.

"What in the world?" Saguru muttered.

"Just listen." Megruine said.

**On the Public Access Screens in Tokyo**

_"So Onogoa-sama, is it true? Did you really capture the famous thief?" _A random reporter asked.

_"Yes. He was difficult to capture, but in the end, he met his match." _She gave her magical smile.

_"How did you manage to catch him when the police didn't?" _The reporter asked.

_"Simple. Because these men have criminal backgrounds, they had the necessary experience and expertise the police did not, which allowed to catch him. This gives Japan the oppurutnity to see for themselves of the new 'Cosmopolitan Police Force', and their efficiency at their jobs. Reformed criminal dedicated their skills to catch a real threat, a terrorist in disguise."_ Vermouth explained.

_"Terrorist? We all know he's a thief, but a terrorist is a bit harsh."_ The reporter pointed out.

_"Well, I suppose there's a different word for everything. But someone who attempts to steal the peace treaty between Japan and the Untied States, couldn't be called much else in my opinion."_ Vermouth shrugged.

_"And you caught this man red-handed?"_

_"Of course. We caught him in the act and have video evidence to prove our claims." _She replied.

_"I see. Well there you have it folks! Stay tuned for more updates on the continuing saga of: Kaitou Kid! A Thieving Romeo or Deadly Casanova? Stay tuned!"_

**XXXX**

Saguru felt his heart die in his chest. 'What the hell Kuroba?!'

**Review please! Thank you and see you next week!**


	10. Blood in the Water

**Hey guys! So the ball will finally get rolling in this chapter; thank you so much for your patience! The chapter will start slow, but I promise it's worth it. So read, enjoy, review!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Case Closed or One Piece**

"And…then I woke up, and Sabo-san helped me get home." Conan was on the couch, drinking some water as he finished his story. He sat between his mother and father, relishing the moral support. Despite this being the second time he told this story, it hadn't become any easier. Conan grew uncomfortable with the awkward silence. "So…what do you think?"

The group of four was stunned; after managing to close his mouth, Richard Moore spoke. "So let me get this straight: you were kidnapped by the crime syndicate who turned you into a kid, into a different world, and battled marines, pirates, government agents, and one of those said crime syndicate members to get to your way back. As if that wasn't unbelievable enough…you fell through a portal you miraculously managed to figure out in the nick of time, and had to endure life-threatening disease and injury."

"The burn scar on my neck is from the magma burn, Akainu-san gave me." Conan replied.

"I see Kudo, I finally see." Moore chuckled. "I knew you were always threatened by my abilities, but this takes the cake. First you pretend to be a kid to get in good with me and my daughter, and now you make up this bullcrap about traveling to other worlds to see if I'll buy into it. Got to say kid, you never give up."

"Richard." Booker started.

"And you!" He pointed at the other adult detective. "Don't even get me started! You not only knew your son was the way he was, but continued to cover for him behind our backs. Why in the hell should I believe you?!"

"None of us expect you to believe this." Agasa sighed.

"Doctor…are you actually believing this?" Rachel asked.

"As farfetched as this all sounds, I'm afraid it's true." The doctor nodded. "According to Haibara-chan, the Black Organization had been working on a project that would've made this possible for Jimmy to travel. The light particles meant for physical bodies, managed to snag wavelengths with the particles of a different universe. Fascinating, isn't it?"

"Fascinating, but still unbelievable." Heiji spoke and turned his attention to Sabo and Haibara, who were set near Agasa. "Little scientist girl, you believe this?"

"Yes…I was apart of the very organization that did this to me and Kudo…I had no idea they were actually close to completing it." Haibara confirmed. "It is theoretically possible to accomplish what they did, especially considering what the technology was developed for originally."

"Which was?" Kazuha pressed.

"Teleportation." Haibara answered, surprising them again. "Teleporting to different worlds is honestly not a huge step down from teleporting worlds. You're still transvexing time and space, and still manipulating the particles around you to your own will. With different principles, it's the same theory."

"I see." Kazuha turned to Rachel, who had gone quiet. "Rachel? What do you think?"

"This other world…it's where these 'Fishmen' came from?" The girl asked.

"Yeah…and he's about as pleasant as the fishman I had trouble with in One Piece." Conan grimaced, remembering Arlong. "Hopefully, he's as stupid as Arlong was."

"Arlong?" Rachel repeated.

"The fishman guy, yeah." Conan nodded.

"Oh come on! You guys are actually buying this?!" He turned to the Kansai detective. "Hattori-kun! Help me out here! Please tell me, you're still sensible!"

"I don't know. Normally, I'd never believe something like this." The darker boy muttered. "But…" He turned to Conan, who bore a hopeful expression. "Kudo wouldn't lie like this…and his parents would especially never lie for this reason. You were with us when we were searching Detective Moore, you saw how desperate Mr. Kudo was to find his son. He wouldn't make this up." He looked at Booker and Vivian. "You believe your son, right?"

"Of course we do." Vivian stated.

"Yes. Not just his testimony, but…this is the same world Sabo-san here is from, and lastly, a crime syndicate member confessed to us that this is indeed real. The member who followed Jimmy into that world is also suffering from PTSD." Booker explained.

"How can you be so sure she's telling the truth?" Kazuha pointed out.

"She had come over to ask the coping techniques we came up with or Jimmy, to remedy their fallen member. Apparently…he also suffered some traumas that may have been caused by the blast." Vivian responded.

"Either way, it's beyond reasonable doubt then." Heiji scratched the back of his head in slight frustration. "Fine. I believe this whole One Piece theory."

"What?!" Moore yelled.

"Heiji!" Kazuha exclaimed. "Are you serious?!"

"If Sabo-san here managed to brainwash Kudo, Haibara, Agasa, and Mr & Mrs. Moore, then he's the most brilliant cult leader in the world." Heiji sighed. "The only difference between him and other cult leaders, is that he has one crime syndicate follower and another crime syndicate member spreading his lies." He looked at Sabo. "It's not probable nor logical, and with all that's going on, he's our best bet to save Sebastian."

"Thank you for your trust, Hattori-san." The blonde sweatdropped and then addressed the crowd. "Yes…I know this is all extremely difficult to believe, but I am from the world Jimmy was sent to, and I have reason to believe that I was somehow sent here when I died. Don't get me wrong, I have no idea how or why, but that's just my theory. As for why Hody Jones-san is here, I'm not sure either. Especially considering, that we thought the Black Organization would be too traumatized to use that technology anymore."

"So wait!" Kazuha interrupted. "Assuming we actually do believe you, how exactly does that help us here?"

"It helps us by further assessing just what we're dealing with." Booker answered. "We're not just dealing with random Yakuza acts now. Now we're dealing with these 'fishmen' and the Black Organization, and the only thing we have that's tying them together is Vermouth's political campaign."

"So I'm really alone here now, aren't I?" Richard's eye twitched, and looked at his daughter. "Rachel…what are you thinking?"

The girl was silent for a moment before speaking. "I think that it doesn't matter who is from where, or what the situation is. Serena's in trouble, and we need to work together to save her. And if that means accepting crazy conspiracy theories, then fine."

"Rachel…" Richard looked at his daughter in worried.

"I haven't forgiven or forgotten what's happened. I'm still hurt, scared, confused, and I'm still mad as hell at the people who lied to me." Rachel said with quiet rage. "But…Serena's safety is more important right now, and the only way we can save her is by working together. So yes…I believe the story." She looked at her father pleadingly. "Please dad…I need you…please be with us."

Richard looked at his daughter, and at everyone else in the room and gave out a defeated groan. "Fine. I don't actually believe what's going on but…for my daughter…I'd follow any theory. I'm in."

"Great." Agasa nodded. "Now as Kazuha-chan pointed out, we need to figure out what to do next."

"As Hattori-kun said, we need to figure out that connection between the fishmen, Yakuza, and Black Organization members. Jimmy, did the World Government have any connections to the fishman you mentioned previously?" Booker asked his son.

"To Arlong-san? No, I don't think so." Jimmy shook his head. "The only thing that I remember about him was that was big, stupid, air-headed, and had this idea that fishmen were better than humans."

"That's what that Hody Jones guy said!" Kazuha remembered. "He called as lowly humans, and got mad when we said he had no right to be at Serena's place!"

"You think this Arlong-san and Hody Jones-san have a connection?" Vivian asked and looked at Sabo. "What do you think Sabo-san? What are your experiences with fishmen?"

Frowning, Sabo answered. "Unfortunately, I died before I got any real experience in fighting or interacting with fishmen. All I know is that there's a long-standing feud between humans and fishmen, and that they're ten times faster and stronger than us. So fighting them really is like fighting a tank, and considering that none of us have devil fruits, this is going to be especially difficult."

"Devil fruits?" Kazuha repeated.

"We'll tell yah later." Sabo and Conan said at the same time.

"What's this feud about?" Richard inquired.

"I'm not too sure on the details myself, but…basically…rich humans targeted fishman for slave-trading purposes. They would often use them as gladiator entertainment, and if the fishman grew old or tiered, their owners would consume them. Obviously, there was retaliation, and many humans died and suffered the same treatment. It's…never been a good relationship, so fishmen like Jones and Arlong are actually quite common." Sabo explained grimly.

"So, how do we save Sernena?" Rachel asked again.

"I would say that the first thing we need to do is either find a way to discredit the marriage somehow, or find Jirokichi-san. Families like the Sebastians wouldn't have had a transfer of family heads without a fight." Haibara pointed out. "From that, I would say our most logical approach would be to call that boyfriend of hers to see if she had called him within the past fourty eight hours, and then to head to Kyoto. If these Fishmen are truly as powerful as you say they are, then it wouldn't be wise to approach them without a sold plan of attack."

"Complete in agreement there." Jimmy nodded. "So now the only question is: when is the best time to approach."

**RING! RING!**

The cellphone Sabo had been given started going off, making everyone jump slightly. Frowning, he took out the phone and looked at the caller ID, and his mouth practically dropped.  
"We might've just gotten that chance." He answered the phone. "Hello…Sebastian-san? Yes. This is Sabo."

"Serena?!" Rachel jumped. "Please! Let me talk to her!" She was held down by Kazuha.

Sabo ignored her and continued the conversation. "Uh-huh…yeah…I see…thank you. Yes…I'll be there in a few hours." He flipped his phone shut.

"No! Why didn't you let me talk to her?!" Rachel demanded.

"We're dealing with a potential hostage situation. If anything makes them nervous, they might kill Serena." Booker reasoned. "Sabo-san…what did she say?"

"That wasn't Ms. Serena anyways…that was her mother. They…want me to come check out the sail boat they bought for me. And…she wants me to turn on the news." Sabo looked up the others weirdly; Heiji shrugged and did as the caller asked. Everyone froze in place when they saw who was on TV.

"Vermouth!"

**XXXXXXX**

The broadcast was happening at a designated press conference area in front of Tokyo's National Bank. It had a wide entrance, and allowed the cameras get every angle of the woman and the interviewer talking.

"And we're ready in five!" The camera man shouted, signaling for everyone to get in place.

The interviewer straightened his tie and spoke to the camera. "Good afternoon citizens of Tokyo, if you are just tuning in, I am talking to Masaba Onogoa, who has successfully demonstrated the effectiveness of the new alliance between the Japanese metropolitan Police and the Yakuza. Merely hours ago, they had managed to successfully capture the elusive Kaitou Kid, caught trying to steal political artifacts."

The man turned to Vermouth and asked: "Onogoa-sama, clearly the success has left you and your colleagues elated, but what do you believe that Kaitou Kid was hoping for by stealing those documents?"

Pushing her glasses back, she answered: "Well Shigaku-san, I'm afraid we can only speculate on what Kaitou-san's true intentions were, however we have reason to believe he was going to sell the papers to a private dealer. We are still investigating the details."

Nodding, he continued. "Did you manage to interrogate him at any length of time?"

"Yes, however he is being quite stubborn about it, so rather than use physical or technological means of extracting the truth from him, we have decided to make him the first case for the new partnership to use." Vermouth explained. "In other words, he will be the first case to be handled by the partnership of the Metropolitan Police Department and the Yakuza. With the law protecting the legal liberties of the litigation process, and the Yakuza's links and experience to the underground, we are quite confident in this case."

"I understand that Kaitou-sama's capture had led to the instant implementation of this new partnership, Onogoa-sama. How do you believe the police will cope with working with the very people they were intending to lock away?" The reporter asked.

"Understandably, there will be some tension, and no one expects it to be a smooth transition. However, I'm sure that after a few months of success, the unease will reside, and complete cooperation will be accomplished." Vermouth smiled. "I imagine that the Yakuza members are getting acquainted with their new partners quite well, right now."

**XXXXXX**

Members of the Metropolitan Police Department, the FBI, and the CIA were all trapped in the same damned office, with guns at their heads. They all glared in frustration at the TV as that condescending woman spoke.

Saguru clenched his fists in frustration, just what the hell was Kuroba thinking? Feeling a gun nudge him, he looked to see a strangely disfigured Yakuza member that resembled a yellow seahorse and giraffe. The leading Yakuza members in here seemed to follow that same fish motif they had been discussing before from the Sebastians, obviously they were related. The others seemed to be more normal-looking and human-like, with the occasional tattoos. "Hehe…pay attention…she's still talking."

**XXXXXXX**

"Yes…that will be quite a surprise. Now then Onogoa-sama, I'm sure you've been expecting this question for awhile, but I'm sure I speak for everyone who is watching when I ask: where is Kaitou Kid-sama?" The reporter asked, suddenly feeling a bit uneasy.

"Of course, Shigaku-san, your question is perfectly understandable." She reassured. "Kaitou Kid-sama will be presented in front of Tokyo Tower tonight, where not only will his identity be revealed, but he will be finally forced to submit to the law. He will be presented at 7pm sharp, so for anyone who wishes to see this historic moment, I reccomend coming early and resist being late. The seating is obviously first-come first-serve."

"I see. I'm sure we are all looking forward to it, Onogoa-sama. If it is not too much, may we see some kind of livefeed from where Kaitou Kid-sama is?" The reporter requested.

"Of course." After getting out her phone, Vermouth touched the screen several times before getting the right setting. She then took a cable that was beside her, and plugged it in to her device, allowing the images to be streamed to the live setting. "Here, you see him in our cell in Osaka; our highest level prison is there, and considering his crime and escape record, we left no room for openings."

In the images, Kaitou was still in his famous white tux costume, but he was pacing around like crazy, and was obviously bored. Other than being a cramped space with nothing to do, he was fine.

Smiling, Vermouth spoke. "As you can see…he is in perfect health and condition, and will be more than ready to present for tomorrow's unveiling."

Amazed, the reporter responded. "Astounding, you truly will change the face of Japan, Onogoa-sama!" Clearing his throat, the reporter calmed down. "I'm afraid that is all we have time for everyone, please come tomorrow for the unmasking of the great Kaitou Kid-sama-"

"I hate to interrupt, Shigaku-sama, but I have an announcement to make before this broadcast ends." Vermouth smiled politely.

"Er…yes…of course." A bit taken back by the interruption.

Nodding, Vermouth continued. "Now then…going back the new partnership between the Yakuza and our police department, I can understand if all of you feel both shock and outrage at this very moment, but please…rest assured it is for the best. Japan is taking its first steps forward from our economic collapse, and soon we will dominate the world's economic power. However, we can only do this, if we stay united as a country, regardless of what changes or laws that are implanted."

After she was sure people were still listening, she continued. "In saying this, the partnership was indeed enacted immediately by the Diet after Kaitou Kid was presented to several members just the previous night. In the fact that the partnership has been activated, new rules now must be enforced; please be relaxed as there is only one major rule to follow at this moment.

And that rule is simple: there are now much more criminals that will be revealed in the streets of Japan, criminals that only the Yakuza would recognize. So at this time, if any Yakuza members come to you or someone you know asking for information regarding suspicious individuals or events, you are hereby obligated to comply with every step of their investigation.

Anyone who is found housing these individuals or keeping information, will be treated just as same as a criminal, and will be brought in. These individuals are poison to our society and must be taken care of immediately. Criminals who are caught are encouraged not to resist, who these men are not trained in non-violent restraint methods. So please everyone…make this easy on yourselves and immerse yourselves in our new world."

**XXXXX**

Heiji had heard enough, and turned off the television, everyone had panicked expressions on. "Fuck…what the hell does this mean?" Heiji muttered.

"The Yakuza…they've taken over." Moore mumbled, stupefied, and also feeling sick.

"What's worse…the Yakuza and the Black Organization they've partnered up for this…there actually doing it." Haibara muttered, her eyes wide with shock. "They're actually initiating their world-reform plan."

"World reform?" Kazua repeated, who was holding Rachel for support.

"Yes…the Black Organization's true goal was never to change the world, but to change how the world worked, particularly each country's laws and litigation processes. Some I agree with, some I don't." She answered. "However…there method of keeping order is brutal…Japan is going to be the first to experience that."

"Hey guys...I know we're all in shock right now, but we've got a problem." Vivian spoke, looking out the window.

"What is it dear?" But Detective Kudo Sr. paled when he saw who it was, and realized that in there shock, they had realized something else. With their partnership with the Black Organization, the Yakuza now knew who Conan was, and they were certain they'd be counted as cohorts. "We've got to get out of here! They're outside already!"

"What?!" Agasa exclaimed.

"The Yakuza! Some of those fishmen are with them, but that's definitely them! They're coming up!" Booker took into the state of everyone in the room, and pretty much everyone but Sabo was not in a state to run. Rachel was still frozen, Kazuha wasn't leaving her side which meant Heiji wasn't leaving, Agasa wasn't fast enough to make it up the fire escape, Moore wasn't leaving his daughter, and …he looked at Vivian who had clutched his hand with hers. They couldn't bare to leave any of them like this, they had been captured before, and all of their friends need them.

With a determined voice, Vivian turned to Sabo. "Sabo-san! Take Haibara-chan and Jimmy, and run!"

"What? But Kudo-san!" Haibara protested.

"If they catch you and Jimmy, we lose; as much as none of us like it, the final battle's ascending, and it'll be over before it starts if you two are captured." Booker looked at Sabo with desperation. "Please…protect my son…"

Sabo picked up Anita in one arm, and a stiff Kudo in the other. He looked at the young detective in worry, realizing he had been silent throughout the entire thing. Sabo looked at Booker and Vivian. "You have my word that we'll come back for you."

"Thank you." Vivian nodded graciously.

Everyone tensed as they heard footsteps coming up the stairs. "Go! Now!" Booker shouted.

Nodding, Sabo kicked the door of the apartment open and took off towards the roof. He ignored Haibara's struggling and continued running, trying to block out the sound of them kicking the door of the Moore's apartment open. But as he was running, the uneven movement must've caused Conan to stir slightly, and finally it happened:

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUGGGGGGH!"

Sabo froze and Haibara looked horrified at the strangled scream from the detective boy, having never heard a sound like that in her life. It had finally sank in that the Black Organization had taken over Tokyo, and most likely Japan after Kaitou's unveiling. And Kaitou, just what it did it mean? Why would he steal something like that? He'd never sell anything to a private dealer. Haibara shook her head of these questions, pondering could come later.

Conan was struggling terribly, even biting and clawing at Sabo's arm. "Let me go! Let me go! I need to stop them! I need to stop them!"

"Kudo!" Sabo inwardly cursed, hearing footsteps come up the stairs, he had to keep running. Continuing to run, he felt Conan's struggling eventually give way towards resignation, and he assumed the boy had calmed down to frustrated sobs.

BANG!

Sabo kicked the door to the roof open, and went to the edge, looking around for any sort of opening.

Haibara noticed this too, and she paled considering. "Fuck!" She shouted.

"What?!" Sabo looked down at her.

"Kudo's backpack! We left it at his parents' house!" She exclaimed.

Sabo looked troubled, and turned around when he heard the door bang open again, and he saw a tall, burly looking fishman with black hair and pinkish eyes. Sabo tensed, the fishman hadn't noticed them yet, so carefully, he moved backwards trying to get out of his line of potential sight. He looked at Haibara, who had covered Conan's mouth for good measure. Just as he was almost at the ledge he wanted, the worst thing happened- he accidentally kicked a rock.

In a second, the fishman landed eyes on him and the two kids. Sabo cursed, looking back behind him, and back at the fishman. The large man smirked and took several steps forward. "Just like you humans to run away from something that frightens you…us fishmen are forced to face our fears everyday like true warriors, yah know?"

Frowning, Sabo responded. "Yes…and how much like a fishman to corner a creature ten times weaker than them, and have the nerve to call themselves strong."

"Heh…I'll let that pass for now…I actually wanted to ask how you got here." The fishman replied casually, liking the blonde's surprised look. "You're the only human who knows what I am without explanation, and we were told that someone else from our world was here. Since we're some of this world's only traces of strength and weakness, I will do you the honor of presenting my name: Hody Jones, Captain of the New Revolutionary Fishmen pirates."

"I'm Sabo, a simple traveler in this world." The blonde replied. "Why are you here?"

"I'm here cause I wanted to see him for myself." Hody chuckled.

"Him?" Sabo quirked a brow.

"Yes…I wanted to see if the great Jimmy Kudo was all he was cracked up to be. I heard he was the one who shot off that one human organization member's arm and leg. I also heard he managed to beat the entire Navy, and unite the entire pirate world." He grinned viciously as tightened his hold on the boy. "Is that really him?"

"I doubt whatever condition he would be in, would make any difference to you." Sabo answered neutrally.

"No, it wouldn't." Hody admitted and took a step forward again, and Sabo took a step back. "I was actually requested to kill the two kids you're holding, but I at least want to meet the famous Kudo before I kill him."

Sabo was panicking, he had no experience fighting fishmen, and with two kids to protect, he was utterly fucked.

But just as Hody Jones leaned forward for a charge position, he suddenly fell back on his butt, choking and clawing at his throat.

Sabo, Haibara, and Conan stared at the display in shock; there was Rachel…putting Hody Jones using furniture twine from the old couch in her living room, binding Hody's neck, cutting off his air supply. Sabo knew it wouldn't pierce his skin, but it was effective.

Conan stared up at Rachel, whose eyes were full of rage and hatred for the fishman in front of he, and that was when Conan remembered- Hody Jones was the one who trashed Serena's mansion, and..the one who attacked her and Kazuha. His eyes widened, when Hody finally managed to break the twine.

"Damn bitch!"

**SMACK!**

The slap was so tremendously, it sent Rachel to the entrance structure of the roof, denting the stone.

Conan couldn't explain any of the emotions he was feeling right now, but slowly, just ever so slowly…he turned his gaze to the fishman.

"Tch! Should just kill the bitch now, screw that human woman! As if she has the right to give me orders." He scoffed.

"DON'T!" Hody stopped, and turned around…to finally come face to face with what he wanted to face. "Don't…touch…her."

Even if he was bound by an older human's arm, the fishman leader could tell that this boy was something to contend with. In fact…Hody Jones licked his lips, as he locked eyes with the detective boy…he had never been more excited to see a human struggle for their last breath as in his life.

**Review please! Let me know if you guys have any questions! And no worries, this isn't the end for for anyone! Review or PM me to voice your thoughts! See you next week!**


	11. Game On

**Hey guys! Next chapter is up, and the fight is officially on! I'm looking forward to later chapters of unparalleled excitement! Yay!**

**So read, enjoy, review!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece or Case Closed**

Hody smirked at the expression, and turned his body back around to face him, ignoring Haibara and Sabo completely. "So…you're the famous Detective Jimmy Kudo, or as you called yourself in my home-world, Conan Edogawa."

Conan didn't answer him, so he continued.

"Oh, I forgot, you lied to everyone here about your identity too, including this woman behind me, right?" He snickered, just one strike had left her unconscious; humans were such pathetic creatures.

Conan still wasn't answering, rage was evident in his eyes, and it didn't seem as though he'd be in a mood to talk anytime soon. Haibara was honestly frightened, she had NEVER once seen that kind of expression on Kudo's face. He was normally so calm and put together, that you'd think rage wasn't even apart of his genetic makeup. He didn't even allow his emotions to get to him when Rachel had been taken hostage in the past, so it was surprising that this was happening.

Hody, on the other hand, was not impressed, and was honestly getting annoyed at the boy's silent treatment. "What's wrong? Jellyfish sting your tongue?"

Instead of answering, he made a request. "Sabo-san…put me down."

"No way." The blonde already knew where this was heading and their situation was bad enough. "You can't fight him Kudo-"

"Sabo-san…fighting is something that is only reserved for warriors, which is something he and I are obviously not. Now…Put. Me. Down." Conan demanded quietly.

Looking down, he saw what would make a great escape, so he decided to indulge the boy a bit. Carefully, he set Conan down, but still kept a hand over his shoulder.

Hody had to resist the urge to simply destroy the boy for calling him a non-warrior, but now he had to resist the urge to roll of the building in laughter. The boy was barely three feet tall! He was supposed to be scared of this?! "Better watch what you say Kudo…or I'll give you a worse experience than that Navy admiral."

"And even he was a more worthy creature of life than you." Conan didn't flinch. "Jones-san…I don't care what your reason for siding for the Black Organization is, and I have no idea why anyone in there right mind would follow you, but…" He felt Sabo tug his shoulder, indicating his exit. "Before I go I want you to deliver a message for me to the Black Organization, and that message is simple: it doesn't matter what disguise you people veil yourselves in, a criminal is a criminal. And like all criminals, I'll shut you down. All of you."

"Heh…big words from a trapped rat." He smirked.

"I admit I move and act like a rat." Conan smirked back. "But I'm far from trapped."

"Huh?" Hody frowned.

"Ja ne!" Sabo smiled, and suddenly picked Conan up again, and jumped off the building.

Rushing to the ledge, his eyes widened at the blue cape speeding away from the scene. But he smirked again, this meant that he hadn't given up yet…the hunt was on.

**XXXXXXXX**

After a couple minutes, Sabo managed to balance himself on the hood of the car he landed on.

"Kudo?!" Haibara spoke up. "Who the hell are we riding on?!"

"You'll see!" He answered.

After a couple minutes of speedy driving through back alleys, the car ended up under a secluded bridge. This was a spot that only locals of Tokyo would know, and cars seldom drove there cause of all the old graffiti and homeless people. Basically…the slums of Tokyo.

After the car came to a stop, Sabo climbed into the passenger's seat after adjusting his position with the kids.

Sabo came face to face with a woman he didn't recognize, but apparently Conan and Haibara did.

Haibara was shocked. "Faulkner-sensei?!" How in the hell did Kudo manage to get their elementary school teacher involved in this behind her back?!

"We're here too." Haibara, Sabo, and Conan looked back and saw the Detective Boys group, along with Amy. Despite how scared they obviously were, they apparently still mustered up enough of their forgotten anger towards the fake children. Georgie was the one who spoke, and did so again. "We're not here cause we want to be, but those crazy Yakuza-bastards stormed our school, looking for us."

"They found out about our connection to you somehow, and came after us." Mitch added.

"Faulkner-sensei managed to get us out before they found us. I'm scared…what's going on Haibara-san?" She asked the other girl.

She flinched at being called her name by the little girl, but answered anyways. "To make a long story short, the Black Organization has partnered up with the Yakuza, and together they have taken over Tokyo. Currently, they're after Kudo and I." Haibara turned hesitantly towards the elementary school teacher. "I assume you know the basics, ma'am."

"I was…shocked…to say the least." After the teacher had gotten the kids to her car, she had received a desperate phone call from Edogawa, and she answered it immediately. He had been missing for awhile, and when he came back he, he…obviously was not himself. She hadn't spoken to him since he left elementary school honestly. When he asked her to drive to the Moore's Detective Agency to pick him up, she happily obliged. Only to have complaints, and one complicated story thrown in her face about why NOT to help Conan and Anita.

In complete honestly, her head was still swimming and hadn't come to full realization quite yet. She then noticed the blonde man in the passenger seat with them. "I wasn't expecting someone to jump onto the hood my car, but I also did not expect anyone to be with Anita-chan or Conan either. May I ask who you are sir? And please tell me you are the age you appear to be."

"Yes ma'am…my name is Sabo, and yes…I am twenty as I appear to be." Sabo answered cheerfully. "Thank you for picking us up, you saved our lives back there."

"Anything to help my students." The teacher responded nervously.

"Sensei…I know I have a lot of explaining to do, but please…drive to the Kudo residence. It's in the upper suburban area of Tokyo." Conan requested.

"…Why?" She wasn't sure if she could handle any more surprises.

"I left my backpack there." He answered.

"Oh I see, that's okay. What were you doing at the Kudo residence anyways? Booker and Vivian Kudo are pretty famous people yah know?" She smiled, forgetting that the kids just told her that her elementary school student was actually THE Jimmy Kudo, best detective in Japan.

"That's because…I'm actually their son. My name isn't Conan Edogawa…my real name is Jimmy Kudo…thank you for taking care of me all this time." Conan answered.

**A Couple Hours Later**

After finally calming the teacher down and explaining their situation (minus the fishman and other world part), the teacher had managed to drive them to the Kudo manor. She called the conversation quits after Kudo and Haibara revealed how they got turned into kids, and said they could tell her the rest of the story when her head was spun on straight. The kids still weren't talking to them, which made things very awkward for Conan and Haibara in the backseat.

Conan narrowed his eyes when he saw that those bastards already hit his house, hopefully they left some useful stuff. As they entered the home, the door was already open, several windows were broken, and the lights were turned off. However had hit this place was long-gone by now. They most likely figured this would be one of the first place he'd hide. Conan's eyes widened in relief at what he saw though: his backpack! It had been shoved under the dining room table! Not questioning his good luck, Conan rushed for it, feeling even more relieved as he did inventory of his gadgets.

As he did this, the others got themselves situated in the large home. The teacher decided to fix herself and her students a snack, leaving Haibara and Sabo with Conan. "Well…the children seem less mad." Sabo observed.

"Yes…though I doubt it will go away." Haibara turned back to Kudo, surprised to see his backpack had been virtually untouched. "By the way Kudo, when did you call Faulkner-sensei?"

"When Vermouth announced the reform, I figured the first people they'd go after would be you, me, and anyone whose connected. I admit…I was dazed, and all I did was pick a number on my phone out of panic. She sometimes offers rides to crime scenes yah know, so…that's what made me think of her." Conan explained.

"Ah. So that's when you did it." Sabo sighed. "Well, now that it's open war, we need to figure out what to do next."

"Yes, I believe the first hing we need to do to find Sebastian-san, it's likely that if we don't come willingly, they're mail us incentives." Haibara agreed.

"Meanwhile, we have no idea why Kaitou was captured, or why he did what he did." Kudo hissed, he honestly didn't believe Kaitou was guilty of the crimes at all. Not after his own efforts to thwart in justice, and the document weren't even what he normally stole. He was all about jewels and artwork. "I don't know how he's involved, but if we free him, we can at least throw a wrench in their plans to take over Japan. Cause if Japan goes, there goes the rest of the countries that they had Yakuza splinter sections in."

"Yes…it's a unanimous domino effect. Day by day, the Black Organization will cease control of each country that Vermouth mentioned. While Mexico, Britain, China, and America will take longer, their intentions are definitely to force humility down on them." Haibara nodded. "So we have until 7pm tomorrow evening to at least halt their plan, and that's most likely why they're desperate to kill us at the moment."

"So that takes care of the immediate problems, next is rescuing friends and family, right?" Sabo suggested.

"Yes…the more leverage they have over us, the worse it is." Haibara nodded.

"They won't start hurting them until they get desperate, and when they do, it'll be public. They're implanting complete Martial Law, for those who don't show compliance, they meet the consequences." Conan felt sick just thinking about the examples of torture they'd use on his friends and family to scare him. "Plus…there's strength in numbers. That's true in this world and in One Piece."

"That's the other thing." Haibara interrupted. "How are we supposed to stop them? The fishmen I mean. It's obvious that Black Organization doesn't have much control over them, and once Jones-san runs out of patience, they'll start to run wild. From what they've said about humans back there, it's doubtful they intend to spare anyone."

"Ah. We're going to have use electricity or some kind of power-based weapons." Conan looked at Sabo. "Do fishmen have any known weaknesses?"

"Not that I know of, but I do know they're terrible against electrical attacks. I…remember watching other nobles using wires to torture them." Sabo cringed at the memory from his noble family. Even as a child, he knew that had been wrong. "So we'd have to use pretty powerful stun guns or tranquilizers."

"Even then, that only settled the problem temporarily." Anita stated. "We either need to kill them, or figure out a way to send them back to your world, Sabo-san."

"We could get you back to Agasa's lab, how much time would you need, Haibara?" Conan asked.

"Forget Agasa's lab, I need to get the Black Organization's main base." She stated. "That's where the technology was originally developed, and if they kept any of the blueprints, I can use it to recreate or repair the machine they used on you. Even if I know the theory of it, I would have no idea how to actually implant the practicalities of it into life."

"How long do you need?" Sabo asked.

"Depends on the state of the machine." Haibara replied grimly. "It could be an hour to as long as a year. We have no way of planning such a thing until we get to the base itself."

"Even if you had a blue print?" Conan asked.

"Even if you manged to somehow steal a picture of it from them, it won't tell me the state the machine will be in." Haibara explained. "I'm sorry…but there's no avoiding it, we have to go to the Black Organization's main base after we gather our bearings."

"Okay fine. Where is it?" Conan asked.

"It's under the abandoned amusement park in Tokyo." She answered.

Conan was shocked, that's where they had been hiding?! He was interrupted before he could comment.

"At least it's close." Sabo commented.

"Distance is hardly a comfort." Haibara sighed. "So a plan of attack has been configured then?"

"Yeah…first thing's first, we need to save Serena." Conan agreed.

For Hody the hunt had begun, for Conan…the preparation of sharpening his filet knives had begun.

**Elsewhere in the house**

Faulkner had just finished making up grilled cheese sandwiches for herself and the kids, and had managed to find a carton of juice that hadn't been thrown out or emptied. The house was in complete disaster; furniture had been flipped, glass had been shattered, and lit looked as if an earthquake rattled the kitchen. Despite that, the four occupants managed to have a quiet meal, contemplating on their current situation.

"Well…I can't say I expected any of this." She said awkwardly. "First…the Yakuza storms our school, then Edogawa-kun turns out to be-"

"Some lying, fake-child wacko?" Mitch interrupted, taking a bite out of his sandwich.

"Yeah. Don't forget Haibara, she lied to use about the same thing." Georgie pointed out.

Faulkner frowned, looking at the three kids; Amy, just sat quietly and ate her sandwich. "Amy…how do you feel about all this?"

After a moment, the girl looked up. "I…just can't believe it. Two years of friendship was nothing but a lie. The only reason why we were able to solve cases was because of Conan-kun and Anita-chan…I mean Kudo-san and Haibara-san…and they lied to us about being our friends the entire time. It hurts…it hurts so much, sensei."

"They weren't ever our friends, it's obvious that they never cared about us at all." Mitch hissed. "I mean, what kind of person pretends to be friends with you, builds up all this confidence between you, and then destroys it? It's despicable, is what it is."

"Mitch-kun…" Faulkner had to admit she found the whole situation with Haibara and Kudo extremely farfetched, she still didn't quite believe that her elementary students were really a famous scientist and a detective. She looked to Georgie and Amy who seemed to agree with the small boy completely. "All of you are pretty broken up about this, huh?"

"You mean, you aren't sensei?" Georgie asked.

Biting her lip, she thought about her response. "I'm not saying that I don't feel betrayal over this. I mean you three are right…Conan-kun and Anita-chan are not actually themselves, and they built a relationship with us, with complete knowledge it would abruptly end. It was completely insensitive and irresponsible of them but…" She smiled sadly when she thought of all the times she interacted with the students. "I don't think they're bad people, but more than anything, I don't believe for a second that they don't care about us."

Looking up in surprise, Georgie asked: "How can you be so sure sensei?"

"Because I look back at all the things they've done to help us, and even if we are angry at them right now…they did lie to protect us." Faulkner smiled sadly. "As hard as this is to say, I would've done the same thing in their position."

"Really?" Amy asked, her eyes wide.

"Yes…I know it's hard to sympathize with them but…try to imagine it: suddenly transformed into a completely different age, then forced to adapt to a new life and new identity, and ontop of that…protecting your friends and family from the criminals who did this to you." Faulkner couldn't imagine the amount of stress going through Kudo and Haibara's minds, and now that she thought about it…their friendships with her and her students was really quite inevitable.

"What are you saying sensei?" Georgie asked.

"What I'm saying is: regardless of how true or untrue of what Kudo and Haibara are saying…it was inevitable that someone was going to get hurt. Those are situations that are adults are forced to face every day, but…I ironically, I think Kudo and Haibara were forced to grow up too fast." She answered.

Mitch spoke up. "I think I speak for all three of us when I say that: we're angry." Amy and Georgie nodded at the statement. "But…given the points you brought up sensei, I guess…we can put aside our feelings about them for now."

She nodded. "Yes…I'll need time to sort out my feelings too, I'm afraid."

"Yeah, but…what's going to happen to us?" Georgie frowned when he thought of the men who were chasing them. "Those creeps are probably still after us."

"Do you think they've gone after our families?" Amy asked.

Faulkner frowned grimly. "It's a definite possibility."

"My dad can take them…" Georgie clenched his fists, wanting desperately to believe his own words.

"Mother and Father will be in danger, I hope Onee-sama will be okay." Mitch mumbled and turned to his female friend. "Do you think your family will be okay Amy?"

"I hope so…" She honestly didn't want to think about it.

Nodding, Faulkner had her own worries, though her family was elsewhere in Japan, so they were safe for now. "We'll have to assume they're fine at the time being, but for now…we need to see what'll happen here."

"What do you mean?" Mitch asked.

"I mean, given how intense the situation is, we'll have to go along with whatever plan Sabo-san, Haibara-san, and Kudo-san come up with." Faulkner explained.

"So we'll have to trust them." Georgie concluded.

"Yes, at least for now, it'd be a good idea to follow them. At least until it's safe." Faulkner concluded. Seeing how the smaller boy was clearly unconvinced, she tried for Amy.

"What do you think, Amy-chan?" Faulkner asked carefully.

"I think…we should trust them. I want to see if my family's okay." She said shyly.

"That's good, doesn't that sound agreeable, Mitch-kun?" The teacher asked.

After a moment, the boy conceded. "They take us to our parents, that's the only way I'm agreeing to anything."

"Yeah!" Georgie confirmed.

"I like that idea." Amy smiled.

Smiling, Faulkner nodded. Yes, no matter what happened she trusted Kudo to lead them out of this, because there was one key thing she had learned about him over working with him: no matter how big or chaotic a situation was, Kudo never forgot about the little people. He always made sure to get everyone out alive, and she was positive this would be no different.

**Review please! More fishmen will be introduced in the next chapter, and a surprise One Piece character no one will see coming will be appearing soon! Feel free to guess who it is, and let me know if you have any questions or concerns!**


	12. Boardgame Setup

**Hey guys! Here's the next chapter! I got a complaint last week that the last chapter was kind of short, I apologize if some people feel this way, but it is what it is...much like this chapter. I initially didn't intend for this chapter to be short, but for the sake of the story, it just ended up that way.**

**Also, more One Piece characters will be introduced, including one of the key antagonists in the story (at long last). On this note, I'd like to remind you all that I am not using OCs for any major part in this story, in fact the only OC I've used so far is the TV interviewer with Vermouth. So at the end of the chapter, do not be skeptical, look him up in One Piece wiki, thank you!**

**Lastly, you guys will probably be made at me for this, especially after this chapter, but...I'm not posting a chapter next week. DO NOT PANIC! I am just taking a break, I'm not discontinuing the story. **

**I'm currently in the process of finishing up the second book in my Addonexus series, and my editors are demanding I submit the first draft of it by the end of next week. Along with that, I'm also cleaning up my aparmten before my boyfriend and I move back to our hometown for several months, and then, I'm helping him move into his temporary housing for his internship this summer. Lastly, I also have to work.  
**

**So to simply put it, I don't have time to write a chapter next week, so I'm taking a break. So don't panic, the story's not stopping, just taking a breather. Please PM me, if you have any concerns about this.**

**Without further ado, here's the chapter! Read, enjoy, review!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece or Case Closed**

"So we're in agreement of what needs to happen first?" Haibara confirmed with the three males.

"Yeah, we take the kids and their teacher to Agasa-san's lab. We drop them off and restock on supplies, and then head to the Sebastian's home in Kyoto." Sabo confirmed.

"And you're sure they said in the Kyoto base?" Conan asked.

"Positive." The blonde nodded. "That's what Kazuha-san said, correct?"

"Yes, I remember." Agasa confirmed. "It's had to confuse the historical buildings."

"Great, next there's Kaitou. I don't know what the hell he was thinking, but we need to save him. If he gets revealed to Tokyo, they'll use it as leverage for their system to take over all of Japan." Conan stated seriously.

"And then it will turn into a domino effect." Haibara finished. "But by that logic, shouldn't we split up?"

"What do you mean? That would put all of us at risk." Conan pointed out.

"But we need to be in exact opposie ends of the areas. Even on the light-rail to Kyoto would take about a day, and Kaitou-san is on the established deadline. I don't mean to be pungent, but rescuing Miss Sebastian should come as a lower priority; she's secure as far as we know, and there's no threat of system collapse based on her rescue." The girl explained logically.

"Kaitou got himself into this mess, he can stew for a little longer as far as I'm concerned." Conan growled.

"She's right, Kudo." Sabo spoke up. "Whatever they need Sebastian-san for, they'll keep her alive until further notice, and we'll have to assume that the fishmen are being kept away from her too."

"You saw what they did to Rachel!" Conan hissed with clenched fists.

"And you'll continue the wounds if you bring back her friend, only to have her head bashed in front of her." Haibara quipped. "I don't know how these fishmen are biologically setup, but they are most definitely stronger than us."

"What's yur point?" Conan pursed. He had always been able to figure something out, why would now be any different?

"Her point is: they're ten tiems stronger, and none of us have any defenses against them." Agasa said. "And given the fact that you declared war on their leader, it's probably waise that you stay low for awhile Jimmy."

"But-"

"Agasa-san's right, Kudo." Sabo interrupted. "I know you're worried, but we need to keep our heads on straight."

When Conan didn't say anything, Haibara spoke up. "We have more than jurs ourselves to wrry about right now; the Detective Boys and their manager are relying us to lead them to safety. In saying that, we should get going."

"How? Won't they recognize the car by now?" Sabo asked confused.

"No worries, Sabo-kun! We'll use the underground passage!" Agasa pointed out cheerfully.

"Underground passage?" Sabo and Haibara repeated.

"The professor thought it would be a good idea to connect his lab to my parents' place a while back, so he established tunnels before I was born. It was my dad's idea originally." Conan explained and walked to the fireplace. After lifting up one of the stone tiles surrounding the place, some crumbling and rumbling could be heard, and soon, the stack of wood and the iron tray moved back.

Conan smirked in victory. "Let's go!"

"I'll get the kids!" Agasa shuffled towards the kitchen.

**RING! RING!**

Frowning, Sabo took out his cellphone and frowned when he saw who it was. "It's the same number Sebastian-san used." Conan and Haibara immediately tensed.

Answering the phone, Sabo spoke. "Hello?"

_"Hello Sabo-san, this is Terada, Sebastian-san's fiancee. I believe we talked once before"._

"Yes, you told me the boat was ready. I apologize, I have not been able to pick it up yet." Sabo replied neutrally.

_"I understand, given all the chaos, I doubt you've been able to move." _The other boy mocked. _"I'm sure you know why I'm calling."_

"Ah. You want me to pick up the boat, correct?" He guessed.

_"Yes, and I'm afraid that if you do not, I will be forced to take drastic measures against Sebastian-san to persuade your cooperation." _Terada confirmed.

"So we were right, you were planning on hurting Sebastian-san." Sabo frowned.

_"Do not worry, we still need her alive, but if you do not come to the First Pier Dock between Tokyo and Kyoto, I'm afraid unnecessary unpleasantness will happen to Sebastian-san and her family." _The other boy explained.

"You don't want us to come to Kyoto?" Sabo's response earned surprised looks from Haibara and Conan.

_"That was the plan originally, but our associates believe it would be too risky if you knew our location." _Terada explained. _"Besides…I have been wanting to meet you for awhile, Sabo-san. You sound like someone I met once."_

"I fail to feel the same sentiments." The boy replied.

_"Understandable. Meet me at the pier I mentioned, and come alone…should that detective boy come with you, I have first orders to execute him on sight." _Terada threatened.

"You're coming to meet me yourself?" Sabo was surprised himself. This guy wasn't willing to let them come to their base in Kyoto, but he was willing to risk bodily harm by meeting him alone. Something wasn't right here. "What are you planning exactly? Who are you?"

_"As I said Sabo-san…we will meet tonight. If you really feel confident enough in yourself to protect the detective boy, he can come, just know that you'll have no mercy in running down bullets." _Terada sighed. _"Meet me tonight at 7pm, exactly twelve hours from Kaitou-san's unveiling. Sound good?"_

Pursing his lip, he squeezed the phone, but responded. "Peachy."

_"Good. I look forward to meeting you." _With that, the line cut-off.

**Meanwhile- Sebastian's Kyoto Manor**

"I must say…this is taking much longer than I initially thought." The old man, Jirochi sipped some sake with Tomoko and Serena at his sides. Eva sat on the opposite of the table, dorcinf to keep her mask of indifference up. He had to be one of the most sexist pigs she had ever met. "But tell me…why is it that you're not willing to talk to us in group about Serena's personal litigation process?"

Resiting the urge to snap, the woman adjusted her glasses. "Once again, this is about attorney-client privileges. While it is true that the Sebastian family is facilitating the marriage, as well as customizing the agreement, Serena-san is still the legal age of eighteen, and therefore, I cannot disclose any of her personal rights in front of friends or family, whether or not she gives her consent."

"Sounds like a stalling tactic." The old man snorted.

"If you do not like how I practice, then I suggest you contact a different lawyer and explain this situation to them." She rebutted.

"Hmph. You seem to know your position." Jirochi stood up, and headed for the door. "I apologize for this, but there's something I need to confirm with Terada-kun anyways. Use this time to chat, get reacquainted, and oh! Explain the situation to this one, would you?"

Another one of the shogi doors opened, and Serena's eyes widened. "Nee-san!" Despite being in a formal kimono, she stood up and rushed over to her. The older girl seemed to be unharmed, but was shoved unceremoniously into the room with the other women. "Nee-san!" Her eyes blazed at Jirochi! "You bastards! I told you to leave her out of this!"

"Jirochi-san, what is the meaning of this?!" Eva stood up as well.

"Like I said, enjoy the time to talk, now that you know the exact nature of the situation, we can't exactly let you leave Kada-san." The old man stated without looking at her. "If you would be please surrender your cellphone and laptop, that would be most appreciated. I don't approve of violence towards women, so I wouldn't want to break any principles here."

Frowning, she handed one of the men her briefcase, in submission. "As promised."

"Empty your pockets too, if you would, Kada-san." He requested. Growling, she did as she was told, and ended handing over a Bluetooth headset. "Good, I'll be back in an hour. You ladies catch up."

After he left, Serena checked on her older sister again, unbinding her arms. "Nee-san! Are you all right?! Did they hurt you?!"

"Serena…?" Angie asked uncertainly. "What's going on here…who was that man?"

"Ask our mother." Serena hissed at the word, turning to the oldest Sebastian, who hadn't moved since her oldest daughter had been brought in "She's the only one who knows what's going on at all."

"Mother…what is going on?" She looked at Eva in further confusion. "Why is Kada-san here?"

Eva observed Tomoko carefully; the woman's body had gone completely rigid, her eyes had widened, and shock was clearly gripping her body. "No…they said they only needed one…Angie-chan wasn't supposed to be involved in this."

"Involved in what, Tomoko?" Eva asked.

"Involved in the Sebastian's shame…they only needed one." Tomoko said quietly, slowly bringing her hands to clutch her head. "My husband already lost his life over this, my daughter has lost her freedom, and now…this."

Shock gripped all three women in the room. Serena was the first to response by grabbing the shoulders of her mother's kimono and pulled her up. "This?! What do you mean this?! Mother! Where's father?! What do you mean you lost him! What the fuck is going on?!"

"Serena…" Angie also sank to the ground as well. "Mother…please tell us."

"It was a long time ago…" Tomoko started. "That the Sebastian family fell into this debt, this terrible debt...the debt of Pearl Harbor…"

**Police Station**

Inspector Joseph Meguire sat in his chair at the conference table, wondering if anyone else believed a word of what these 'fishmen' as they called themselves, were saying. First Conan Edogawa disappears, then comes back, but apparently…he wasn't being held captive in any part of this world, he had been trapped in their world. Meguire had heard of different theories of different universes out there, but under no circumstances did he understand the science or specifics behind it. He looked to see how his men, the FBI heirs, and the CIA were doing; they looked about as convinced as he did.

"Got more for yah!" A 'fishman' with surgically altered features to look like a dagger-tooth conger, came in with very familiar people in tow.

"Booker!" Meguire and everyone else stood up.

"Don't move! Captain Jones may have ordered us not to kill you yet, but he won't mind if one of fingers twitch." The yellow fishman threatened. "I'm Hammond, and I'm in charge of all you swine until its time for the slaughter! We don't require much, but until that detective kid is found, we have orders to keep you alive. But if the captain gets impatient, well…let's just say we don't really give a fuck about some female human delusioning herself into thinking she's superior to us."

Feeling brave, Saguru spoke. "What's going to happen to us?"

"Don't speak unless spoken to!" He pointed his gun at the blonde and grinned viciously. "But he brings up a good point, we need to establish some ground rules. First and foremost, don't speak unless your told to! Second, anyone who knows anything about this Edogawa-kid needs to speak now, or accept the consequences."

"Which would be?" Hidemi asked beside her nervous brother.

"Heh. Let's just say…we have a special storage space in mind for all of you." Another fishman walked in. This one was tan, and had feathers on his hat as an accessory. He bent down, and gripped Rachel's chin with his large hand.

"Get the hell away from my daughter!" Detective Moore yelled.

"Yeah! Leave her alone!" Kazuha shouted.

**BANG!**

A warning shot was fired. "SHUT UP!" Hammond smirked at his comrade. "Don't get too touchy Kasagoba, the boss don't tolerate fraternizing with the weaker species, you know that."

"I know but…I was there when we retrieved this group, so I've got to say she's different." He liked the defiant look in Rachel's eyes.

"Eh? How so?" Hammond knew his captain wouldn't give them permission to do certain things with human, to prevent potential of halfbreed existence.

"Not that kind of thing!" The marbled rockfish fishman exclaimed. "What I mean is, she'll be the first example! She dared defied Captain Jones!"

"Heh…you don't say." Hammond responded.

"Seriously…just stop it, this is Kudo's fault, not hers." Heiji tried to reason with them.

"Kudo? What's he talking about Booker?" Meguire looked at the detective and his wife, who looked away slightly.

"Not that Kudo! The younger one!" Hammond exclaimed.

"Younger one…" Realization slowly dawned upon everyone in the room who wasn't aware of Edogawa's current situation. "Booker…"

"Yes…they're after Jimmy, but these days, he's been going by the name of Conan Edogawa."

**Night at First Pier**

Sabo walked smoothly out to the dock, as promised he was going to meet this Terada-san at 7pm, and it was exactly two minutes before that. If Ace and Luffy knew about how punctual he had become, they'd never let him live it down. It took awhile, but finally he managed to sneak out of Agasa's lab while Haibara and Kudo were gathering supplies, and helping Agasa with the kids. He hoped everything would be okay. Normally he'd simply let Kudo come with him, but something told him…it wouldn't be a good idea this time.

Seeing someone standing at the ends of the dock, Sabo stood several feet away from, making sure his footsteps were loud enough to be heard. The sun was setting, so it wasn't dark yet, but even in the dark Sabo could tell that there was something very familiar about this guy. He had no idea why or how, but Sabo was certain he knew the other teenager somehow. He was wearing a black dress pants, a grey suit vest, and a white shirt under the vest. He had dark black hair, and seemed to be slightly above average in build.

All bets were off when the other boy reached up and pulled his black hair, revealing his true dark blonde hair color. Readying his sword cane, Sabo braced himself for any shit that was about to come.

"Thank you for being on time." Terada's voice bugged him even further, knowing he HAD heard it in one point in his life.

"Thank you for having me." Sabo glanced on either side of the pier briefly. "I don't see a sailboat."

"Yes…I'm sorry to inform you, but I had to destroy the sailboat they set aside for you." He explained. "It was a defective model you see, and I'm afraid at this point, escape is no longer an option for you."

"That's not true, you never intended to let me live anyways did you Terada-san?" Sabo pointed out.

"True, but I didn't call you out here to kill you, I simply wanted to have a private conversation with you." The boy said pleasantly.

At this point Sabo had enough and pointed his sword cane forward. "Enough of this bullshit! Just tell me who you are already!"

"Really, now that's hurtful." The boy turned around fully so Sabo could see his face. He smirked when the older boy dropped his sword cane with a thud, shock clearly overcoming him. "How could you not recognize your own little brother, Nii-san?"

Realizing what he just did, Sabo quickly grabbed his sword cane again and put some distance between him and the other. Sabo still couldn't believe who was in front of him, just what the hell did it all mean?! "You can't be…Stelly?!"

**Review please! Yes! Stelly is a real character, look him up if you don't believe me. Remember, I AM NOT POSTING NEXT WEEK! The next chapter for this story will be out on June 28, 2013. Thank you!**


	13. Dancing on Trip Wires

**Hey guys! Here's the next chapter, and you might be surprised by who appears. Jirochi's identity is finally revealed, and things don't look good for anyone.** **So read, enjoy, review!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece or Case Closed**

Sabo stared at the person in front of him, trying to comprehend just what the hell was going on. How was this possible?! What did it all mean?! He took several steps forward hesitantly. "Stelly...? Is it really you?!"

The other boy merely smiled. "Of course Nii-san...why would you think otherwise?"

"Because..." As much as Sabo didn't want to admit it, he never actually saw the other boy die, but then again...after he discovered their plot to burn grey terminal, all of High Town was dead to him. "What are you doing here?! How are you even here?!"

Over the years, Stelly hadn't changed much in appearance. He still had those same narrow eyes and pale skin, but his hair had changed signficantly, different color and change of style. But Sabo could easily spot the arrogance on the other boy. It further irritated him when Stelly didn't answer him. "Answer me!"

"You know when I said you have the devil's luck?" Stelly started.

"Yeah..." Come to think of it, that was the last thing he said to Sabo. "What about it?"

"Turns out you're not the only one." Stelly walked over to the dock and looked at the stars. "Were you ever told the reason for my adoption into your family, Nii-san? Despite me being from a higher family, I still had to put a front around them, and my own partners were nowhere to be found?"

"I honestly didn't care." The blonde said bluntly.

"Doesn't surprise me, no one really did." Stelly stated. "Anyways...my family was involved in a rather scandalous, and in a secret handshake I was sent to live with your family after they agreed to take me in exchange for my parents's social standing. That was one thing I truly loved about High Town...it was one of the most scandalous place on earth, everyone had something to hide. Once you found out those secrets, you had complete power."

Sabo frowned. "So that's what you did?"

"No, your parents agreed to take me for the status exchange and didn't ask any questions. That was the extent of their involvement. Really, I wasn't even planning to stick around that long, so even if you had stayed that night, I wouldn't have actually taken your place as the heir. It was simply a place to crash, and torturing you was my way to relieve boredom. They had such simple taste, your parents." Stelly snickered.

Sabo felt the knot in his stomach grow tighter and tighter. "Stelly...after I passed out from the Tenryubito's gun...what happened?"

"Ah, so that's what you're truly curious about. Only natural I suppose. Well Nii-san, I can only assume that you think that you were the first person to cross that portal, and let me tell you- you're right." Stelly smirked. "After you passed out in the water, you were picked up by the royal guards, and your parents gave you up to them. They didn't want anything to do with you after you cut-off that stupid man."

Sabo clenched his fists, getting angrier by the second. "So what you're saying is...I was the first human to go through worlds. And you came after me."

"Yes, the Black Organization welcomed me quite well, I must say." Stelly chided.

Sabo rubbed his head, trying to control his emotions. "Why don't I remember any of this?! That means I came to this world when I was ten!"

"Yes...congratulations." Stelly sneered. "You gained amnesia as a side effect, and the Black Organization people were supposed to kill you but, I guess they simply decided to dum you on that island. Tragic...you can't kill the devil it seems."

"You're the devil, you bastard! You were willing to kill thousands of innocent people!" The blonde pointed his cane at him.

"Waste not, want not, dear brother. And those terminal people were wasting, blocking High Town's people from what they wanted. No matter how petty their goals were." The former bowl-head shrugged.

"That's monstrous!" Sabo seethed.

"That's no different than the pirates destroying the weaker crews that get in their way, and it won't be any different from what your brothers, Ace-san and Luffy-san have to face either." Stelly replied.

The color drained out of Sabo's face. "You...know about Ace and Luffy?"

"Of course, Gin-san told us all about it." Stelly laughed. "It was an amusing way to pass the time as the fishmen made their arrival."

"Wait...how long ago did Jones and his crew actually show up?" Sabo was getting desperate now. He KNEW the machines were destroyed, yet what Stelly was saying was contradicting it completely.

"Why...when Kudo escaped back into this world." Stelly responded.

"I don't understand...only Kudo-san and Gin-san were at the clock tower at the time, how could the fishmen get in?!" Sabo demanded.

"The Black Organization knew they were limited on time, so rather than abandon their plan of world domination, they simply salvaged it. They knew that the connections through the light particles would be completely fractured after Kudo returned...Sentomaru-san, Aokiji-san, and even Garp-san ordered the complete destruction of those things. So while Kudo was on his sojourn, they were harvesting soldiers." Stelly explained.

"I don't understand. How did they know that the fishmen could get through? Who set the machines to set them through?!" Sabo demanded.

"I don't think it's necessary to answer the first question, for I am short on time, but I will say this...Mommy and Pappi were so happy to give Jones and his crew the proper send-off." Stelly smirked. "They paid a man named Cesar Clown, and offered those barbarians the chance at their revenge."

Sabo felt light-headed, and used his cane to stabilize himself. From what he was just told, not only was Stelly here just as long as him, but he essentially knew everything about him! Taking a breath, he managed to ask. "How...how did you get involved with Sebastian-san's family."

"Oh. Nothing complicated, it was simply a debt that was passed to me to handle. It could've been anyone she would've been married off to, really." Stelly shrugged. "So that's the story of it brother, the Black Organization couldn't take over two worlds, so they simply settled with this one. It'll be amusing when the fishmen try to kill them in the end, won't it?"

Sabo frowned. "Everything really is disposable to you, isn't it?"

"Everything has its purpose in life." Stelly waved it off.

"How do you know so much about me? How do you know about Luffy and Ace?" Sabo asked carefully.

"As I said...amazing way to pass the time, not to mention...Blue Jam told me all about them when we retrieved him from those ashes."

**CLANG!**

Sabo dropped his cane on the dock, utter shock was written all over his face. "He's...alive?"

"Yes, he was half-dead when they pulled him out, but he turned out to be very useful. But he was noisy, and after almost dying, he demanded more than just financial compensation. He wanted much more." Stelly shrugged.

"He's here too...?" Sabo couldn't believe this. The very man who spilt u him and his brothers was here.

"Yes...he's also in charge of the Sebastian's right now." Stelly answered.

Sabo regained himself slightly and asked. "How many others are here? How many passed through the portal?!"

"Whose to say? It'll be a pleasant surprise won't it?" Stelly smirked.

"Stelly...why'd you call me out here?! What's the point of telling me all this?! What do you want?!" Sabo was on the verge of breakdown, he couldn't take anymore.

"Well I obviously called you out here to catch up, but of course there is another reason. I wanted you to pass on an amusing message to Kudo for me." Stelly said casually facing him. "You see the fishmen are very bored and restless creatures...they hate the fact that they have to work with humans, and honestly can't stand them. So to compensate for this, the Black Organization is allowing them one tribute human to kill every day, they of course consider it a temporary practice because they plan to kill the fishmen off, but considering the ambigious timeline, whose to say?"

"Stelly...what are you saying?" Sabo had a nasty feeling of where this was going.

"Let's just say that Jones has only spoken with Kudo for two minutes, and already he hates him more than anything else. He chose the girl...what's her name...Moore...Rachel Moore...I do hope she knows how to swim." Stelly smirked as Sabo picked up his cane and unsheathed it.

"Tell me where she is!" Sabo demanded.

"Now, now...she almost killed a man herself defending you and Kudo from what I heard, so she would've been tried for attempted murder anyways." Stelly shrugged.

"Tell me, you bastard!" Sabo demanded again.

"So demanding dear brother, and it's not like you and Kudo won't have a chance to save her. From the way the tide moves...I'd say you have about two or three hours from now." The boy explained lightly.

Sabo frowned and tried to comprehend what he was saying, but then it dawned on Sabo. "Stelly...tell me they didn't."

"You knew the formation of the islands by the back of our hand, so if we were in our world, you'd have no problem finding the girl. But here, where this island is elongated and manufactured...you have now way of knowing. And you didn't take the chance to properly excavate the land here. How foolish of you."

"Why you-" Sabo was about to strike him, but then-

**CLICK!**

Stelly smiled serenely and aimed the semi automatic at the blonde. "Oh yes...there was another reason I called you out here. They believe, the Black Organization that is, that Kudo-san has too much of an advantage with you at his side. So when tasked with eliminating, I volunteered. I wanted to see you pained and confused expression as you died."

Sabo snorted. "Please! When I met you, you couldn't even hold your fist straight!" He charged forward.

BANG!

Sabo clutched his hand, and heard his cane sword drop. He cursed his stupidity and glared at Stelly. "Yes...I was quite weak when you met me. But not anymore...I must thank those kind organization members for teaching me firearms. They're quite nice actually." Stelly put the barrel to Sabo's forehead. "Goodbye dear brother...perhaps we'll meet in the next life."

"As if I'd want to see you."

"True." As Stelly was about to pull the trigger-

ZING!

Stelly dropped his gun and was now clutching his hand, cursing. Sabo watched the scene unfolding in confusion.

"SABO-SAN!" Conan was rushing towards him on his skateboard. "Sabo-san!"

"Kudo!" Sabo exclaimed. "What are you doing here?!"

"Rescuing you! Haibara told me you went off for some reaon!" Conan yelled and turend to the other man. "So what's the deal, who is this guy?!"

Sabo's expression softened. "Kudo...he's-"

"I'm his brother Stelly, and since you're here, I've got a message from Vermouth-san Kudo." Sabo was horrified when he saw the familiar sadistic sneer of Stelly, the same he had on when High Town descended into madness.

**XXXXXXXXXXX**

Heiji was nervous, oh so very nervous. He and the others had been led out of the police station, to make room for the Yakuza and Fishmen members to set up; they had been blindfolded and prohibited them from talking. To make matters worse, they had been shoved into a truck or some kind and were surrounded by sound proof interior. The only thing Heiji knew about his surroundings is that he had been shoved into a truck full of men, while the girls were obviously stocked into a different truck. Honestly, he felt like he was on one those African slave ships during the colonial take over of Africa. He felt completely sardiened, it was hot, and could barely breathe.

The truck was suddenly jerked to a stop, and the hatch to their compartment opened with a sudden snap. "All right humans! Get moving!"

Heiji suddenly felt himself being rushed forward as people started flooding out around him like a flood. He felt the air forced out of his lungs as he was practically crushed between people. He gasped for breath when he hit the ground, sea water and sand filled his nostrils and tongue. They were at the beach, but why?!

"All right humans, take off the blindfolds!" Heiji did as he was told, and his eyes widened. As Heiji suspected they were on the beach, but they were on a closed-off area of one Tokyo's beaches, and because they were in the truck, he had no idea which beach they were brought to.

"Rachel!" Detective Moore's voice got Heiji's attention, and he turned his head away from the water, and rushed forward at what he saw.

**POW!**

"Stay down." Hammond glared down at him, lowering the club he used on the tanned Japanese native. "Get back in line."

Heiji glowered and glanced at the girls' side. They had already been lined up and positioned to walk in a straight line. IT was then that Heiji realized that it wasn't that he was in a large truck with a mass amount of people, he had been shoved into a mini van meant only for six with like twelve. The girls must've gone through the same.

Kazuha looked up at Heiji, and they matched eyes momentarily, before the girl turned her head away.

"Kazuha..."

"RACHEL!" Detective Moore's voice repeated, and he finally turned his face to the direction of his friends.

Rachel had been struck badly, the bruise on her cheek showed as evidence. Her hands were tied behind her back, and she was being roughly dragged by the arm by that Kasagoba creep.

"What are doing?! Why is she being separated from the group?!" Heiji demanded.

**POW!**

"Don't speak unless spoken to!" Hammond's voice rang.

"I'll kill you." Heiji muttered, he was suddenly hauled up by two more fishmen with giant spikes on their back, reminding him of a sea urchin. His mood worsened when he felt his owns hand tied.

Hammond snickered down at him. "Let's go."

**15min Later**

After the scuffle of Moore and Heiji were over, the group was led inside a cave next to the beach. It was wet and damp, and from the echo sounds, it defenitly led to the water. Suddenly, the line halted, and everyone waited what to do next.

Eisuke, who was in front of the men's line looked around curiously. "Where are we?"

"The place of reckoning." The fishmen stood straight and the humans turned to see Hody Jones, perched in a coral throne, one that was specifically made for him. Jones smirked down at them and stepped off his leveled throne to join them below. "As you all know, I am Hody Jones, Captain of the New Fishmen Pirates. Here, this cove is considered a relaxing spa-spot for his superior beings, but to lower creatures such as yourselves...I've heard it's one of the most horrific ways to enter death."

Hidemi, who was in front of the women's line, felt herself throwing up in her mouth. She knew what this was, and she hoped desperately it wasn't true.

"As of now, the Black Organization members are hunting down Jimmy Kudo, or whatever you wish to call him, but some of them are getting rather impatient with our progress. So they've devised a new tactics, one of which I'm told these 'CIA' and 'FBI' agents would be familiar with." Jones continued.

The agents didn't say anything, though Black had the same idea Hidemi did.

"We sent a messenger of sorts to Kudo, to tell him that if he does not show up tonight at our new place of operations, the place you know as the Sebastian manor, that his friends will die. One by one, day by day." Jones finished casually.

"You...can't be serious." That was when Chief Meguire saw it; the stone cages that were supposed to imitate black jail-bars. This entire cove consisted of prisons; each prison had removable coral bar door, with a padlock, and seemed to be up to eight rows with ten cages per row. But there was one below the level they were standing on currently, the one where it would get directly flooded in the tide, and would stay that way long after the tide pulled out. "You can't do this!"

"HAHAHA! Look men, the puny human man thinks he has a choice!" Jones and his men laughed at Megurie's dismay.

"You won't get away with this!" Eisuke shouted unexpectedly. "You won't!"

"Hhah...but that's the beauty of it human, I already have. I'm in a world where there are no comfort defenses like devil fruits, absolutely no human can stand up to me." Jones chuckled. "Though one did come close, and I must say its sad that she has to be the first to go."

"NO!" Kazuha tried to run towards Rachel, it didn't take a genius to get that implication. "You can't! Not Rachel!"

"STAND BACK!" Hammond aimed his gun at the girl.

"Kazuha!" Heiji shouted.

Kazuha stopped in her tracks, but didn't get back in line. "Not Rachel, not her...she's been through enough already. If it's Kudo you want, you can him."

"Kazuha..." Heiji muttered.

"NO! I'm sick of this! I'm sick of the fact that the world's practically ending as we know it, and all because Kudo messed something up!" She exclaimed.

"Enough." Jones interrupted. "As amusing as I find these outbursts, they are all for nothing. It was agreed that this girl here would be the first sacrifice because it was assumed she meant the most to Kudo. This isn't actually meant to kill you, just give him incentive. However, should she die by us mistaking the time of the tidal currents, whose to say what'll happen?"

Detective Moore was panicking as he saw that damned rockfish take his daughter to the lowest cell. Where she'd die...slowly watching the water level come higher and higher, to where she was blinded and couldn't see, her sense would get flooded. In a last act as a desperate father he yelled: "TAKE ME INSTEAD! PLEASE! SHE'S A CHILD! PLEASE I'LL DIE IN HER PLACE! I DON'T CARE WHAT HAPPENS TO ME, JUST SPARE MY DAUGHTER!"

Jones smirked, the humans in this world never ceased to amuse him. "Relax good sir..." He looked at Kudo's parents, who were looking away from the scene in front of them. "You will be joining her soon enough."

**XXXXXXXXXXX**

Vermouth sighed, feeling a headache coming on, truly wishing her organization's leader would show up to take her stead at this meeting. Between her and several heavily armed bodyguards from her own fraction and the Yakuza, arguing with these obnoxious and obsessive fishmen. "Hyouzou-san..." She asked the octopus fishmen along with his shorter companion, who was red for some reason. "Please contact whatever representatives who are coming to this meeting, I'm sure you'll agree with me when I say we both have busy schedules."

"Don't worry, he's coming." He grinned, she may have been human, but he was so giddy being the same room with such a pretty lady.

"I see. Who is he, if I may ask?" She inquired.

"You'll see soon enough." Daruma waved her off.

SLAM!

Vermouth turned her head around and was surprised who she saw. "Ah Jirokichi-san...I wasn't expecting you to show."

"Yes, Daruma-san told you, didn't he?" He replied.

Vermouth turned to the fishman with a questioning look. "Why would you invite an inferior species representative to join us?"

"Because the boss wanted to tell you just who else you brought in besides us. You see...the Yakuza heads are all dead and buried now, it's run by a human pirate captain now." Hyouzou explained.

Vermouth narrowed her eyes. "I see. So that was why cooperation has been so easy these past few months." She looked at 'Jirokichi'. "How big is your crew?"

"My original was about seventy men strong, but now it's in the thousands. Feels great!" He chuckled. "The crime bosses are easy prey to bonefied pirates miss, I'm sure you know that from Gin-san's stories."

"I see." Vermouth sipped the wine she was holding. "Am I too assume that we're next on the list?"

"Now, now...no reason to be hasty. For example, I would definitely want you to be in my crew. How about becoming my woman?" He asked licking his lips, I always wanted an ageless beauty.

"You don't say." Vermouth held out her hand to stop her men from storming him. "That's all fine and good, but for now how about we keep ambitions the same, because we face the same threat for now."

"You mean that Kudo-kid, right? Please!" He chuckled. "He's a weakling, same as blowing out a candle."

"He's a flame that stayed a glow from the biggest hurricane." Vermouth pointed calmly.

"Then I'll be the one to blow him out!" He laughed.

"Yes...before we continue, might I ask your real name, or at least the name you went by in your original universe?" Vermouth inquired.

"Ha! The name is Captain Blue Jam, one of the fiercest pirates from the East Blue! And I've got a score to settle with that damned top-hat boy!"

**XXXXXXXXXXX**

Rachel had been out of it for the past few hours, the only coherent thing she remembered was fighting that giant sharkman and getting thrashed from it. She had been battling a concussion ever since, and her head was still throbbing. The last thing she blearily recalled was being shoved into a vehicle with with Kazuha, Mrs. Kudo, and several women she knew, and were lead to this cove. Now, he she was up to her neck in water. Why had they left her in here again

"RACHEL!" The heard a voice from above call her, but she couldn't tell who it was. Her ears were in the water, and the prison she was in was awfully small. It was designed to keep her in, only allowed her to move several steps and was only a foot or two taller than her. This must've been what rats felt like. She normally would've had her lungs expand to the necessary diameter to giver herself time to swim out of the opening and then onto land but he didn't the strength to do so.

"RACHEL!" That was when she lost it, the water came up to her mouth and nose, and she caved underwater. She slowly felt her body submerge, strangely feeling light. It was an out-of-world experience in it of itself, dying. She never knew it could be this painless...was it cause her brain couldn't register her lung's capacity, she didn't know. She suddenly felt the tightness in her lungs, signalling her she was running out of air; the sensation was gradually becoming more painful.

She felt her body land on the cove prison floor, feeling waves go in and out of the passage. Despite being a dark cave, she saw a light, and she was certain she was hallucinating before death but...she Could've swore that she saw a mermaid.

A mermaid...she would be fine if that was the last thing she saw before she died.

**Review please! Lupin and company FINALLY appear next chapter, so tune in! PM or review any concerns or comments you have.**


	14. Graveyard Shift

**Hey guys! Here's the next chapter, sorry if it's a bit abrupt. Drop more reviews please!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece or Case Closed**

Conan was having a heart attack at the moment, he couldn't believe with what he had been told. He knew that those bastards would be desperate to get him, but this?! Conan clenched his hands and looked Stelly directly in the eye. "How long?"

"Who knows? These fishmen have a brutal way of doing things." He shrugged.

"Kudo..." Sabo looked at the boy worriedly.

"Better hurry, or she might not make it, and don't worry...I won't stop you. It was just my intention to pass the news onto you after all." Stelly gave a dramatic sigh.

"HOW LONG?!" Conan shouted.

Smirking, Stelly checked his watch. "Oh, about an hour good luck spotting the right beach in time."

Conan didn't need to be told anything else, before grabbing his skateboard and jetting forward.

**BAM!**

"KUDO!" But it was too late, the skateboard was long gone most likely at it highest speed, and with Agasa's recent adjustments to his gadgets, Sabo knew there was no way he could catch-up.

**CLICK!**

Slowly, Sabo turned around and narrowed his eyes dangerously at the giant man behind Stelly.

"Ah...Porchemy-san...you haven't changed one bit I see." Sabo raised his cane. "I guess I'll have to get passed you to follow Kudo, huh?"

"Obviously." The giant man stepped from behind Stelly. "Though I still despise the upper class, this was something the BlueJam pirates couldn't refuse."

"Still being used for some random plot I see." Sabo got into position, and looked hi square in the eye. "Haven't seen you since I beat you for hurting my little brother."

"You and that other one was the ones who abandoned him." The pirate rebutted. "It didn't matter if he was a child, he knew where the treasure was...I did what had to be done."

Sabo frowned and got ready to charge forward. "You're right, for your crew, you did what had to be done. And I'm about to do the same."

**XXXXXXXXXXX**

Tomoko had long since started crying, as she had started her explanation, her daughters and old friend were in shock from this revelation.

"Mom...is this true?" Serena asked quietly.

Her mom didn't look at her as she spoke, but at least it was an answer. "At the time of World War II, the economy of Japan was fluctuating and was considerably unstable, so many of the Sengoku patriarchs were nervous. Many of them called for the bombing, but the entirety of the Diet was against it. So our ancestor, Shantoso Sebastian, decided to take matters into his own hands."

Eva narrowed her eyes. "What did he do exactly?"

"He...reached out to other parties that...shared his patriotic loyalty for Japan...though unorthodox, they shared the same love for their Japanese heritage, and the hatred for the United States at the time. The ones he reached out for was the Yakuza." She whispered.

"Is that why Serena-chan must marry Terada-san?" Agatha asked.

"That was part of the deal, yes." Tomoko whispered. "The Yakuza had connections to very powerful people at the time, and supposedly...they had connections to the Prime Minister and Emperor's power itself. I don't specifically know how they accomplished this but...essentially, in return for bombing Pearl Harbor, a female member of our family would be married to one of their members sometime down the line. They just didn't take up the offer until now."

"But I don't understand." Serena frowned. "Pearl Harbor ended up being Japan's downfall, just look at Nagasaki and Hiroshima."

"Yes...the were the cities targeted, and they were also cities the Raido and Gushon families resided." Tomoko reminded them.

Eva's eyes widened; the Raido and Gushon were extremely well-known families in Japanese society events to this day. The families primarily responsible for oil export and fabric textiles, these families also had well-known Yakuza and Diet connections; both were considered some of the most powerful families of Japan. They also happened to be the Sebastians' biggest rivals.

With all this, Eva had to confirm her suspicion. "So what you're saying is that it wasn't that the Sebastian facilitated Pearl Harbor, but facilitated the bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima itself."

"Yes! He didn't know they were going to target such major cities, I'm sure of it! He was told that they'd be in Okinawa interrogating prisoners!" Tomoko exclaimed. "Ever since then, the Yakuza and whatever partners they have, have held that secret over us. If we do not comply without wishes, not only would our family lose its prestige and wealth, but we could be charged as war criminals."

"Mother..." Her oldest daughter quietly put her hand over her mouth. "How could this be?"

"It was never meant to be like this! Agatha! Serena! All your father and I wanted for you two was to be happy! To have fulfilling lives! We never wanted you dragged into this!" Tomoko proclaimed.

"IF that's true, then why the hell were you so willing to sell me off?!" Serena demanded. "If you truly were thinking about me and Agatha, you'd never consider that! You've always been like this- all you care about is money!"

"Look around in this world and grow up Serena, it's a capitalist dominance! If you don't have money, you'll be consumed by someone's else's greed!" Tomoko growled.

"No, not quite in this case." Eva spoke up neutrally. "Instead, you offered you daughter as tribute in palce of yourself, am I correct?"

Tomoko turned to glare at the lawyer. "Stay out of this, Kada!"

"Hnpm. If I am wrong, may I ask...where is your husband?" Eva asked, earning desperate looks from Serena and Agatha as well.

"Yeah mom, where is he?" Serena asked and then remembered, "You said he was dead, what did you mean by that?"

"...He was shot." Tomoko admitted.

"WHY?! TELL ME!" Serena demanded.

"Because they wanted me originally!" Tomoko exclaimed, surprising her daughters.

Eva narrowed her eyes at the sobbing woman. "So I was right...whatever documentation the debt was written upon, stated that your generation would be the choice stock, but once they found out you were married, your husband had to go. And because you are currently the head, assuming Jirokichi isn't dead, you had the option of reassigning the debt to someone else. And considering Tereada-kun's age, and the fact that Agatha was already engaged, Serena was the obvious sacrifice."

"You make it sound like I don't care about my children." Tomoko growled.

"From a mother's point of view, you really don't." Eva replied. "You were only concerned about saving your own skin, and were willing to sacrifice anything to assure that."

"Mother...how could you?" Agatha confirmed sadly.

"Mom...you...WE'RE NOT RELATED ANYMORE!" Serena shouted. "You've down low things before, but this takes the cake! Dad's dead because of you, Agatha's now in danger, you were going to sacrifice me to begin with, and now Rachel's mom's involved! I hate you!"

"You wouldn't understand you ungrateful brat! All you've had to do was sit around, go to school, and spend money! Whereas I've had to work to maintain my status, look over my shoulder, constantly plan out the next move! What would you possibly know what I've had to do?!" Tomoko shouted.

"Well it couldn't be worse than this!" Serena pointed out.

"Enough." Eva interrupted. "Now that we fully understand the situation, we need to discuss what we are going to do about it."

"What can we do, we are trapped in here." Agatha pointed out.

"Yes...we're trapped in a Kyoto manor where most likely important documentation is kept. Tomoko...I assume you know your way around this mansion." Eva asked.

"Yes." Tomoko nodded.

"Okay, were you presented a copy of the original deed, if so- where is it?" Eva asked.

"I was, and it's in the study, but we'll never make it there with all these guards." Tomoko pointed out.

"Don't worry..." Eva slid one of her hands into her skirt, and pulled out a high-grade taser. "I need to remind myself to send Agasa a thank you card."

**XXXXXXXXXXX**

Kaitou sighed as he waited for his next meal. It hadn't been too bad as a captive here, he had definitely been treated worse before. At least they allowed him to stretch his wrists, didn't water-board him, fed him, watered him, and allowed him basic bathroom courtesy. Really, compared to most capture-situations, this was actually pretty sweet.

**CLANK!**

Kaitous' eyes shifted upwards towards the eye shaft of his cell, and soon met with Vermouth's eyes.

"How are you holding up Kaitou-san?" She asked casually.

"Oh you know...I'm trapped in a steel-metal cage of death in an underground chamber, submerged in water, doesn't get much better than this." Kaitou snorted sarcastically.

"I see. Well calm down, you will get out soon enough." Vermouth shrugged.

Kaitou glared at her. "And what makes you say that?"

"As par for out official in-statement of the authoritative Japanese power over the new Diet, we will have you unveiled at Tokyo Tower tomorrow night at 7pm." Vermouth explained.

"Heh. You honestly think I'll let you?" The magician wasn't impressed, the moment they allowed him out of this damned cage was when he'd make his move.

"I would think so, considering that Aoko-chan and her father's lives and futures depend on it." She said simply, making the thief stop his metal planning. "Kaitou-san, you are a very talented thief, and you are very good at covering your weaknesses, however...you lack the cold-blood necessary for the underworld. Unless if you truly isolate yourself, then you leave yourself vulnerable to attacks like this. Does that make sense?"

Kaitou clenched his teeth, having never considered hitting a woman as much as he did now. "I was told that Aoko was no longer involved...that you no longer needed her."

"Yes, we no longer needed her for that particular stage, but now we need her for insurance. We are very aware you could escape anytime you wanted once we step outside, however...should Aoko's future be placed at stake, as well as her father's job...I would think you would want to reconsider." Vermouth explained. "You see...for unparalleled dedication in pursuing you, Detective Nakamori will be promoted to Chief Commissioner of the Kobe Police Department. However, should you decide not to be present, Nakamori may be faced with demotion and possibly job loss, because his department chief has already been given credit for your capture."

"How...you and your Yakuza thugs-"

"Happen to be affiliated with them. Shocking, isn't it?" Vermouth finished. "Now then...I assume you know what the expectations are tomorrow evening, do not disappoint us. Are we understood?"

Sighing Kaitou asked: "What's going to happen to me, and...since you obviously already know...what about Jii? What'll happen to him?"

"Your butler will remain safe so long as we keep receiving your full cooperation." She started. "As for your sentence: officially- you will be given the standard theft prison sentence of fifteen years, but unofficially...you will be running jobs for us, and a body double will be placed in your assigned cell to appease the masses."

"You've got this all figured out, don't you?" Kaitou glared.

"In my position, you have to." She closed the hatch. "Get some rest Kaitou-san, we want you well-rested for tomorrow."

**XXXXXXXXXXX**

Conan had no idea where he was and barely knew where he was going, all he knew was that he had to keep pushing his skateboard. He was probably going to kick himself in an hour about how stupid he was being, but he couldn't help it! Stelly had given him enough of a direction know where he was going, besides...there were only tow beaches with possible cove-prison setups.

After he arrived at the beach, he put his skateboard away, and started running as fast he could. Conan ignored the sand in his face, the icy winds, and the sheer stupidity of his actions, it didn't matter! All that mattered was that Rachel was okay, and that should WOULD NOT die because of him.

"RACHEL!" Conan screamed as he ran forward into the cave. It only took him a second to realize the gravity of the situation his friends were in. He saw the familiar faces of the Metropolitan Police department, the CIA, the FBI, Heiji, Kazuha, and Rachel's father even. Everyone was here except for Rachel... "Rachel? Where...?"

"She's dead." Detective Moore spoke quietly.

"No..." Conan mumbled, he couldn't believe it. "It can't be true...the tide, he said that the tide-"

"She's dead. My daughter...she's dead. She was sacrificed because of you, Kudo." Moore went on.

"No..." Conan stepped back, unti falling backwards. "NO!"

"They said..." Kazuha spoke up, she was on a row above detective Moore with the other women. "That they'd take us down to the lowest cell, one by one, until you came..."

"But I did come! I did! I came with ten minutes to spare!" Conan shouted.

"He probably lied about the time, Kudo..." Heiji sighed.

"Rachel..." Everyone in the group sated at the fallen detective, who was almost catatonic at this point.

**CLANK!**

Everyone's stare went straight towards the sound of a metal door shutting. No one was surprised by who it was, and no one had to the will to react once the figure picked up Kudo by the shirt.

Hody Jones grinned at the boy he had fisted in his hand. "It's all over kid...the time for goodbyes is already over."

**Review please! See yah next week!**


	15. Backtracking to the Present

**Hey guys! Sorry about last chapter, I mixed up the chapters in terms of when Lupin would be appearing. It's this one! Lupin and the group DO appear in this chapter, and the real action will start kicking next chapter. So please people...drop more reviews, it's only fair. Anyways, read, enjoy, review!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece or Case Closed**

As far as Richard Moore was concerned his life was over; his daughter was dead, his wife was God-knows where, and he would inevitably face the same fate as his daughter.

"Rachel…" Moore inclined his head upwards at the sound of sobbing, recognizing the familiar sound of Kazuha's obnoxious sniffles. Honestly…all she had lost was a friend, he had lost his only child, the most precious thing to him on this planet, regardless of what universe they were in.

"Damn it…" Next was Eisuke and his sister, the admirers of his daughter. Oh how she would've been a beauty.

"Richard." The fallen detective looked to the cell across from him and looked into the eyes of his former best friend, Booker Kudo. "I'm truly sorry…but don't lose hope…she could still be alive…Jimmy could still be fine-"

"What is wrong with you?" Richard asked quietly, stopping the man. "Just last night, I was forced to watch the water level rise up slowly, and time the death of my daughter. It wasn't quick, her head submerged slowly, and the tides washed away…taking her body with her."

Booker nodded, after the tide had passed, no one knew the actual fate of the girl. Her body had not been at the bottom of her prison, with Hody laughing sadistically, stating that the steel door of the bottom cell had been left open by them, to either give her the option of trying her luck to swim out through the tunnel, or simply drown quietly. Ordinarily, the athletic girl would've made the swim easily, but after all that had had happened with Jimmy, it was understandable why she wouldn't feel up to par.

Also, Hody cracked about how he broke all of her ribs when he slammed her against a wall, which likely meant her lungs had been damaged, and was possibly suffering internal bleeding. Really, the girl was dead no matter what happened, as much as Booker hated to admit it.

"Your fault." Richard mumbled.

"Excuse me?" Booker repeated.

"This is all you and your damned son's fault. If Rachel hadn't gotten involved with him, or even if he had been just a little bit honest with us, I'll bet we wouldn't have been involved in this." The detective explained quietly.

"Richard." Booker kept his temper in check, considering he was feeling his own fears regarding his son. "All of Tokyo has been seized…if this had been the Black Organization's plan to begin with, it wouldn't have mattered if Jimmy was honest or not."

"Sure as hell would've given us more time to prepare." Meguire snorted, from the left of Booker.

"Chief." Booker sighed.

"Or at the very least evacuate the citizens." The FBI leader spoke up. "Before we were dragged off from that office, intelligence confirms that America's ready to negotiate Japan's new reform after Kaitou is unveiled tonight."

"What about the smaller countries they were planning to overtake?" Heiji spoke up.

"They've already taken Britain." Saguru spoke up. "What else would they need? They most likely aimed for Britain because it's the strongest financial position of Europe, as well as one of the Big Five of the world."

"So logically the other countries would fall into place." Vivian nodded from the women's aisle above. "What about Mexico and China? I thought America was the grand finale of their plan?"

"They either are switching up the order, or they simply have already done what they needed to do with China and Mexico." Hidemi said from the cell beside Vivian. "For now we should focus on our immediate concerns, as to what will happen to us."

"They most likely plan to do away with us after Kaitou-san's ceremony." Jodi Starling spoke up. "Jones-san took Kudo-san away to their base last night, they no longer needed."

Swallowing a lump in her throat at the mentioning of her son, Vivian forced herself to respond. "Yes…we should focus on escaping, shouldn't we?"

"What for? We're dead anyways." Moore replied quietly. "Even if that Kudo-boy's alive, I never want to see him until his funeral."

"Richard!" Detective Moore exclaimed. "I understand what you're going through, but don't EVER speak that way about my son! I just got him back and-"

"You lost him again, there's a surprise. You and your wife always dumped your kid off on me and Eva, and would disappear months. He'd always ask for you, yah know? When's my dad coming home? You're not a real detective? Let me help with the case, blah, blah, blah…such a whimp compared to my Rachel." Richard covered his eyes with one of his hands.

"What exactly are you saying Richard?" Booker asked carefully, feeling very angry at this point.

"I'm saying that at least I got to enjoy my kid's childhood while she wa still here, and I saw the beautiful young woman she grew up to be. But you never saw that with your son, I saw the nice, arrogant guy he was becoming…which was why I hated him around my daughter. I knew he loved her, and she loved him…they just didn't know it yet. I hoped Rachel wouldn't make the same mistake as her mother…falling in love with a lousy detective."

"What are you saying Booker?" Vivian asked quietly.

"I'm saying that you two are lousy parents, I was a lousy father, and we waste our lives and our children…so now we're all going to die. Wonder if I can request a bottle of scotch for them to hit me over the head with." He pondered.

"Richard! You're acting ridiculous! Jimmy will figure this out! And I'm sure Rachel is fine!" Booker exclaimed.

"Don't talk about my daughter, you damned bastard! You should've told me! You should've told me everything! Yet you didn't!" Richard yelled back, pressing his face against the cell. "If you had told me, I would've been able to prepare better! To protect Rachel better! She's dead now! It's too late! Your son failed us! Just admit it dammit!"

"We need to be strong! Giving up isn't helping matters!" Booker argued.

"He's right you know." A voice interrupted the bickering, and everyone stopped and looked forward at the entrance.

**BANG! BOOM!**

The two fishmen who were guarding the opening were suddenly knocked out. This was curious considering that not even bullets would affect them when they had tried.

**STEP! STEP!**

From the light of the tunnel, in-stepped a man with traditional samurai gi and was carrying a sword. He had long hair and an extremely serious expression. He didn't look at anyone in particular but spoke like an inspirational speaker who enjoyed bashing his clients. "While surrender would be easiest and instinctive in your positions, it would not be ideal for the overall result I would say."

Heiji and Kazuha eyed the man heavily, spotting his master-level skill easily. Heiji spoke first out of the two. "Who are you? How did you knock out those two guards?"

"Oh them…I cannot tell you how amusing I find arrogance like them, for it does no matter how thick the top layer of your skull is, for the back of the head and the diaphragm are still the open vitals. Honestly…such arrogance leaves you quite blind-sided." The samurai explained.

"You didn't answer his question, who are you?" Kazuha demanded.

The man got into chargin position and answered. "That will be explained after this."

**SLICE! CRACK! BREAK!**

Before anyone could blink, the metal bars and locks on the cages were cut-off and the bars were in pieces. The former prisoners stepped out amazed, at both their new freedom and the man's skill.

Despite this, Heiji was still not convinced of the man's apparent alliance. "I'm not asking again, who are you?"

Putting his sword away, the man looked around and saw that all the prisoners, save for the one girl, were present and accounted for- his leader would be pleased. He looked at the Osaka-boy and answered. "Unfortunately, introductions will have to wait as we do not have much time before Jones-san and his men check into this post."

"We're not going anywhere with you until you give us an answer." Kazuha stood firmly beside Heiji.

Saguru stared at the man, along with the rest of his associates, and FINALLY realized why this man seemed so familiar. "I'll tell you who he is- Isikawa Goemon III, a twelfth generation renegade samurai, and one of Lupin the Third's accomplices."

"Lupin the III?" Richard repeated, flabbergasted. "What the hell would he be doing here?"

"To save a friend from collapse, as well assisting the efforts to restore proper order." The samurai bowed politely. "As nice as it is to meet you all, I must insist that we go, updates and explanations will be given accordingly as we make our way to our base of operations."

"How do you plan to get us all out safety?" Hidemi pointed out. "And where is the famous Lupin-san, if I may ask?"

"And how did you find us?" Eisuke also pointed out.

"Again, all this will be explained on the way." Goemon answered calmly.

"Why bother? My daughter's dead, and Japan's doomed…your boss was too late on that one." Richard planted himself on a rock. "I mean…the most famous thief in the world is here in Japan, and no one in law enforcement is on their way to stop him, shoes how screwed up this all is."

Goemon looked at the man with slight pity, and decided that a little enlightenment might bring encouragement from the depressed group. "Rest assured that your daughter is alive-"

**GRAB!**

"What do you mean Rachel's alive?! How do you know that?!" Richard had grabbed the front of the man's gi and was right in his face.

"Please calm down." Was all the samurai said.

"No." Booker finally spoke up and looked deadly serious at Goemon, with his wife right beside him. "My son's been captured, I want your word that we have your full cooperation."

"Of course." The samurai nodded.

"Then if you can't provide us any explanation, then provide us a game plan as to what's going to happen. We don't want to run forward blindly anymore." Vivian explained lightly.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Eva had to remember to thank her mother for forcing her to get into Judo, it was so good for her body and self-esteem; Agasa's taser-pen helped too. After she managed to get a rough idea of where Tomoko's bedroom was, Serena and Agatha had followed her suit by running through the halls of the Kyoto manor to find which room their mother had been staying in.

"Are you sure this is the right way?" Eva asked from behind her at the two girls. They had the unfortunate circumstance of dragging their mother with them.

"Yes! This is mother's personal section of the manor!" Agatha huffed.

"It's not much further, just the next door on the left!" Serena added.

Eva nodded, hoping all the guards she had tased or knocked out would remain that way long enough for them to make their escape. But all four of the women were in for a huge shock once that bedroom door was opened.

**SLIDE!**

"Yo!" They stopped in their tracks in terms of what they were staring at. In front of them was a beautiful, drop-dead gorgeous woman with long brown hair, brown eyes, and a body of a Victoria Secret model. No…more like a body that a Victoria Secret model would starve and remake themselves to look like. But it wasn't the fact that she was almost naked in a bathrobe, or that fact that she was drinking from Tomoko's personal stash that caught their attention- it was what was on her lap.

The woman smirked in amusement at their reactions, and pet the sleeping girl's head. "I believe you know this girl, yes?"

"RACHEL!" Serena dropped her mother and ran to enveloped her friend in hug. "RACHEL! YOU'RE OKAY!"

"Serena…?" The brunette mumbled, and briefly looked to see who was smothering her. "…You're okay." Rachel smiled, hugging back weakly.

"Yeah…what happened to you, are you hurt?" Serena asked in worry.

At this point, the woman intercepted. "Unfortunately…she got a bit beat-up while protecting that Kudo-kid, so she needs a bit of rest." She turned her attention to Eva, who hadn't moved from her spot. "I assume you're her mother, from your expression."

Finally finding her voice, the lawyer spoke. "Who are you?"

Sipping the sake, the woman answered. "Many people know me as Mine Fujiko…"

"The famous seduction thief." Eva responded and shifted her attention to her daughter, growing more frightened at her condition. Her daughter was never that weak and frail, just what was going on?! "How did you find us?! What has happened to my daughter?!"

"An explanation that will come along with this one. Kada-san…are you aware of what's been going on in the outside world since you came to this manor?" Fujiko asked carefully.

"No, other than Tomoko-san there, we've been completely cut-off from communication, why?" Eva answered.

"I see. And did she explain to you exactly what is happening here?" Fujiko continued.

"No…Mine-san…what is going on out there? Who are these fishmen?" Agatha asked.

"Fishmen? Agatha-chan, what are you talking about?" Eva asked.

"There were these oddly dressed Yakuza members who called themselves fishmen who captured me. They threatened to go after my fiancé if I did not comply." She explained.

"What?!" Eva exclaimed.

"I see…" Fujiko frowned, thinking of her next move. "Help me stand Rachel-chan up and follow me, this explanation will take too long, and we need to get moving."

"Where are we going?" Eva questioned.

"To meet up with friends of course. Where else would we go?" The thief asked the obvious.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"Damn that boy!" Haibara smashed a wrench against a trashcan, while Agasa looked at her in understanding. This was indeed a very frustrating situation; with Jimmy gone, they were without their drive, and with Sabo gone, they were without protection. So…they weren't exactly in a good position. They had long-since left the lab, figuring it'd be compromised soon, but Jimmy and Sabo hadn't bothered to drop any hints about reconjoining at any point, or any coordination details.

Which lead them to their current predicament- running from Pirate-themed Yakuza, and hiding in a random parking spot behind a bush. They knew they'd have to ditch the car, but they'd take as much luxury as they could by that point.

"Anita-chan…" Agasa sighed.

"I'll kill him…I'll stuff him in a sack, fill it with cement, and then toss him into the ocean. And with Sabo…I'll that that cane of his and-"

"Anita-chan!" Agasa cut-off. "I'm irritated too, but we need to focus on finding Jimmy. Is that tracking device working?"

"Yes, but his backpack must've been dropped in water cause I lost the signal last night. Ugh…we are so screwed." Haibara sighed. "What time is it now?"

Looking at his watch, Agasa answered. "Noon…why?"

"So we have seven hours until Kaitou's unveiling, as well as the end of Japan's freedom…God I need a drink.." She sighed. "I didn't use to drink when I was my actual age cause the work drowned out all the sorrow, and I could bury my frustration in ambition. It was a rewarding system."

"I can imagine." The scientist agreed. "I guess all we can do at this point is try and find Jimmy and Sabo-san…wherever it might be."

"Wherever indeed…" Haibara sighed, but tensed when she sensed a car pulling up. "Whose that coming?!"

"Don't know, let's hide!" Agasa grabbed the little girl and hid behind a tree, getting several sleep bombs ready.

**VRROM!**

A black sedan pulled up, and out walked a man in a pinstripe suit, with a beard, and a hat covering his eyes, but he wasn't alone-

"AGASA-SAN! WHERE ARE YOU?! IT'S US!" Agasa and Haibara couldn't believe it! It was the Junior Detective League, Faulkner, and some woman they didn't recognize.

Amy yelled again. "AGASA-SAN!"

"We got to go!" Mitch yelled.

"Seriously! Get the led out!" Mikey yelled.

Deciding it wasn't an illusion, they got out from behind the tree. Haibara looked at them amazed. "You're all all right! How did you find us?!"

"We remembered where Agasa's underground base was, and pinpointing the coordinates was easy." Mitch explained, looking way form the blonde. "See? We don't need yours or Kudo's help for everything."

"Mitch…" Amy looked at him sadly, but then back at Haibara. "Um…I'm glad you're okay Haibara-san…it's been scary out there."

"Indeed." Haibara nodded but then looked at the two strangers. "So who are those two? What is their relevance to this situation?"

The woman they didn't recognize looked to be in her mid-twenties, and had on a stranded business female attire. "I apologize, I'm Kuriyama Midori, Eva Kada's assistant. I'm friends with Ms. Faulkner here."

"Really?" Agasa asked.

"Yes! I called her up because I thought that her boss might be able to find a loophole in the contracts the government setup, but then-"

"It all fell into place, I see." Haibara nodded, and finally turned her attention to the bearded man. "And who is this? How do you know him?"

Midori spoke up at that question. "This man actually saved me from being seized by those fishmen Yakuza. They were trying to detain me for my connection with Kada-san."

"Really?" Haibara inquired, not taking her eyes off him.

"Yes, we've coordinated since last night." Faulkner confirmed and then looked around. "By the way, where are Kudo-san and Sabo-san?"

**XXXXXXXXXXX**

Sabo sighed, casually taking some chips from a looted mini-mart, realizing that he hadn't eaten anything since last night. His fight with Porchemmy had been bittersweet; he had defeated the man easily, he hadn't spent all those years on an island sitting around, after all. But strangely…even as he cut-off the large man's head…he received no pleasure from his death. He still remembered Stelly's expression last night.

_ "Well I'll be…guess you really are a pirate." Stelly sneered at the floating head in the water, and then looked at his ex-brother. "You killed that man you clearly outmatched with no mercy, just like a pirate would!"_

_ Sabo stepped forward, fully intending to end Stelly's life as well. "He hurt my brothers, he wouldn't have received mercy to begin with."_

_ "So what? You going to kill me?" Stelly reached into his pocket to put something-_

**_STAB!_**

_ Stelly suddenly felt that he couldn't move his arm, and stared wide-eyed at the sword that had been stabbed through his elbow._

_ Before the snobbish boy could react, Sabo pulled him forward. "I won't kill you on the condition you tell me the nothing but the truth to this question. Where are they planning to take Kudo?"_

_ Stelly was still in shock, but refused to admit he was scared. "Y-You think this scares me?! Hah! You may have bullied me around when we were kids, but this time-"_

**_STEER!_**

_ Sabo's expression didn't change as he turned his blade to his right, starting to cut through the boy's arm. "Your arrogance could cost you a limb, now tell me…where are they going to take Kudo?"_

_ "I-I don't know! It's a base undersea! That's all I know! It's somewhere out in the Pacific!" He started crying when the sword went further. "I SWEAR!"_

_ Sabo pulled the sword out suddenly, and kicked Stelly into Porchemmy's boat. "Get out of my sight, worthless noble scum."_

As much as Sabo didn't want to admit it, he had been haunted by his own actions since last night, having no sleep from it. Both from searching for Conan and the horrid nightmares he had received. He had tried to clear his head several times with food he scavenged from abandoned stores, but nothing seemed to dull his anxiety; he either needed to find Kudo or regroup with Agasa and Haibara. Neither of which he was doing.

So here he was, walking down a desolate side walk of Tokyo, marveling at how deserted it was; people must've chosen to stay in for obvious reasons.

**CRANK!**

Hiding behind a tree, Sabo sighed when a tank rode past him, with a BlueJam pirate sticking up out of the hatch. After several moments, Sabo spotted an alleyway across from him, and he decided to take the detour.

And who'd to thought…that at the end of the detour was the destination he wanted?

Sabo stared suspiciously at the man leaning against the black sedan, as Haibara and Agasa both scolded and updated events from his recklessness. He spoke through the rants, ignoring the two additional women and the kids. "So…you got a name?"

Looking up at him, the man tipped his hat slightly. "Daisuke Jigen, the proud marksman of Lupin the III. At your service, and your escort to tonight's event."

**XXXXXXX**

Kaitou sighed as he was shackled up on a headboard; his arms were spread and he was allowed to move his legs; he felt as though he was about to be flogged. He still had on his disguise, though it desperately needed dry-cleaning at this point. Then again, it would probably not need to be cleaned after a few minutes from now; tonight was the night he would be forcefully unveiled. He idly wondered who would have the honor.

"Are you excited Kaitou-san?" He looked at Vermouth, who was once again, in her Prime Minister disguise. "You are about to be accredited to some of the most famous heists in Japan's history."

"Too bad it's not by my consent." He scoffed.

"It's all for the best, you'll see in due time." Vermouth shrugged at the boy in indifference. "Look sharp, dear boy, the curtain is about to rise."

And as promised, the curtain was pulled, and Kaitou winced as a sudden bright light was flashed in his face, and his ears were ambushed by the crowd's cheers. He wondered if anyone of them were there willingly, or if they were simply Yakuza or Black Organization flunkies who wanted a show. It didn't matter either way, he supposed.

Vermouth tapped the microphone several times, and soon, everyone quieted down. "Good evening ladies and gentlemen, civilians and new police alike, thank you for coming to this historical event." She started, looking around the crowed. "Today, we make history, for not only Japan and our government system, but for the whole world; for today will be the day that Japan's military will once again become active."

**"YEEEAAAH!"**

The crowd cheered, and Vermouth used one of her hands to lower the crowd again. "Today Japan will take its first step towards its rightful position as the economic world power. We salvaged and rebuilt ourselves after World War II, managed to preserve our culture after American Colonization, and have held on to the precious heritage of our our past!" She raised a fist, to go along with the crowd's cheering. "To start off this path, we must make it officially known to the world that Japan is reforming itself, and that it will be better off not for our own people, but the entire world. So let us rejoice the start of the new movement, with unmasking one of the biggest thieves of our current generation!"

**"YYYEEAAAH!"**

Nodding, Vermouth pushed her glasses up slightly before continuing. "For the honor of unveiling Kaitou-san, we have Detective Nakamori, the most dedicated man in the Metropolitan Police to catching Kaitou Kid, please give him around of applause."

**"YYYEEAH!"**

The modest detective scratched his head slightly, and took the microphone from Vermouth. "Thank you ma'am, it's been an honor serving with the Metropolitan Police force, as it has been with every department to catch Kaitou. But before that, I would like to introduce the main reason why I kept going for so many years; after my wife passed, this young lady was the only one I had left in my life. Please, allow me to introduce my daughter, Aoko."

Kaitou's eyes widened when he heard that, and growled inwardly. These bastards really knew ho to ham it up; he knew now that if left, Aoko and her father would lose complete face in Japan after this. The thief's attention snapped towards the sound of heels; he blushed slightly at the appearance of the girl. She was dressed in a knee-length light pink dress with white tights, mary-janes, and wore a pink bow on her head. Despite how childish she appeared, she was still beautiful. He smiled in spite of the situation when he saw his childhood friend join hands with her father.

Aoko smiled brightly at her father, who nodded and continued with his speech. "Because of my daughter, I work to keep each district I work in safe, and I hope with this new reform, will bring more security. May all the families rest in peace tonight." Applause was met with the statement. "So I will give the stage back to Onogoa-sama, whom I am grateful allowed me to speak tonight."

Vermouth took the mike as the crowd clapped again. "Thank you Detective, without further ado, I would like to introduce another lead man on the Kaitou Kid Investigation, who will have the honors of unveiling him tonight. Please welcome the famous detective, Jirokichi Sebastian!"

**"YYEEEAAH!"**

From the left entrance, out came the familiar old man whose mustache resembled a rat. He forced a smile for the crowd, but Kaitou could detect it was fake easily. Jirokichi walked up to Kaitou's post, and gave him an apologetic look before turning to accept the mic from Vermouth.

"Thank you all...I must say that even though I worked for years to catch Kaitou Kid...this was not how I expected to accomplish it. So please, let us thank the new Japanese Police department for their accomplishment, and allowing me to do the honors." The audience clapped at the speech beginning. "So with the permission of Onogoa-sama, I would like to proceed with the unveiling."

**"YYYEEAAAH!"**

Vermouth nodded. "I believe that would be fine, please go ahead Jirokichi-sama."

"Okay then..." The old man nodded nervously. "May I request that I have silence for this ritual?"

"That would be appropriate." Vermouth nodded and then addressed the crowd. "Please give both of these men your respects, and save your applause for after the ceremony." Receiving obedient silence from the crowd she nodded in approval. "Very good, please go ahead, Jirokichi-sama."

"Okay..." The old man carefully walked up to the bound teenager and whsipered sadly. "I'm sorry boy...I know we've had our differences, but...I never wanted this to happen to you."

"It's fine...let's just get this over with." Kaitou sighed in defeat.

"Okay..." Jirokichi reached upwards towards the monocle. "Here we go..."

**BBBBOOOM!**

A sudden explosion was set off, and tons of smoke was released from the stage lights.

Vermouth shouted. "SECURITY!"

But it was too late by now, whatever had been started was obviously not going to stop any time soon. Everyone was covering the mouths with their hands, and Kaitou had to hold his breath to prevent himself from inhaling too much. He cracked an eye open to see Aoko being lead off the stage by her father, which put some ease into the thief. But still...what was this? It wouldn't make sense for them to stage his disappearance at this point.

"Yo!" A sudden voice popped up behind him, and he suddenly found himself flipped around and was free of his binds. Kaitou fell to his knees and rubbed his wrists in appreciation. "Hey thanks but I can't-" Kaitou's argument about not escaping died in his throat as he stared up at the man who saved him. He had to be having a pre-death illusion.

His savior grinned and gave Kaitou an okay hand signal, "Just follow my lead kid. It'll be okay!"

Meanwhile, Vermouth was panicking and trying to desperately trying to keep the crowd under control. Once the smoke cleared, she growled. "Dammit!" She spoke into her wristwatch. "Position compromised- execute the orders regarding that Detective Nakamori and his daughter."

"Sorry but I don't think that'll be happening!" A new voice caught Vermouth's attention and her mouth dropped.

"What in the world-" Jirokichi stared at the person in Kaitou's place in bewilderment as well. The whole crowd was stunned with silence.

For in the place was Kaitou Kid, the best thief in Japan, was replaced with the best thief in the world.

Lupin the III smirked and waved casually at the audience, and walked straight up to Vermouth and grabbed the mic.

"Pardon me mademoiselle!" He turned to address the crowd and got into a rock-an-roll crouching pose. "HELLO JAPAN! PLEASE WELCOME BACK LUPIN THE III!"

**Review please! Review or PM me with any comments or concerns you may have. Later!**


	16. Your Opponent's Hand

**Hey guys! Sorry I got this up late, I had to work. Anyways, read on, enjoy, and leave reviews.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece or Case Closed**

Lupin grinned into the stunned ground, before tossing the microphone back to Vermouth. He winked at her and blew a kiss. "Send me your underwear if you want extra service, sweetheart." The famous thief hastily made his way off the stage, waving to crowd as he did.

Vermouth's eyebrow twitched widely and turned to the stunned guards. "What are you waiting for?! After him!"

"YES!" The Yakuza men quickly readied their guns and followed the pinstripe suit, with more goons already blocking the exit he was planning to take.

Lupin saw this and stopped, allowing himself to get surrounded. Hastily, Jirokichi made his way through the burly men. He stared at thief, still not believing what he was seeing; he doubted anyone actually believed who was in front of them was real. "Lupin the III...I must say...I never thought I'd see you in person; your heists are legendary."

"Thank you my good man." Lupin did a mock stage bow. "You are most kind."

"Enough with the shenanigans." Vermouth made her way through the crowd and glared straight at the grinning monkey. "I don't know what business you have here, but that will be dealt with later. For now...please give us Kaitou Kid, and you will be spared from the chopping block."

"Chopping block? Kind of harsh for theft and rescue, isn't it?" Lupin's grin didn't leave him.

"Considering the liability you just presented, it would be more than appropriate. Now then...where is Kaitou Kid?" Vermouth demanded. "Did he contact you beforehand somehow? How were you even aware of this stage's mechanics? My personal crew put this together only hours ago."

"So many questions...maybe we can discuss them over dinner sometime?" Lupin grinned. "After all, I make it a habit of sleeping with women who try to kill me."

"Your bad taste has no relevance in this matter. Now answer my questions." The woman demanded.

"I find it interesting that you aren't just having your guards here try and capture me, but don't get me wrong...I'd much rather have you all over me. Onogoa-chan was it? Or do you prefer Vermouth?" Lupin wiggled his eyebrow.

The woman narrowed her eyes considerably. "I see that there's no negotiation with you." Vermouth brought her watch to her mouth. "Please detain Detective Nakamori and his daughter; they will be considered liable until further notice."

"I wouldn't count on that if I were you." Lupin interrupted.

Vermouth looked up and her eyes widened considerably as Lupin twirled some wires around himself like a lasso. As quick as match-switch; Lupin cracked the wire whip and stuck her men down by either stunning them with the sound, or aimed for 'sensitive' areas. "What are those wires?!"

"Oh! You had so many electrical wires lying around that I thought I'd clean some of them up for you. And I also took the liberty of disconnecting some of the wireless towers around here, so if you don't get a cellphone signal or internet access...please be patient, for it is temporary." Lupin lassoed the rope onto a stage light above. "Also...I wouldn't think about hurting that detective or his daughter...it's not there fault a kidnapping happened."

"You honestly think I'll let you get away?" Vermouth scoffed, but then realized something...her men hadn't recovered from the wire cracking Lupin did.

"Sorry pretty lady, but you don't have a choice." Lupin pulled himself up towards the railing where the lights and speakers were. "No hard feelings though, right?"

"Hardly. Deadly Poison Group! You wanted a human to kill, then feel free to try him! No human in this world has been successful!" Vermouth shouted up at the upper level.

Lupin frowned and turned to his left, and saw three rather odd-looking men approach him; they were huge and seemed to be surgically altered to look like puffer fish in obnoxious colors. They grinned at Lupin as if they struck gold. "Finally! A human we can kill! How fun!" The purple one said, raising a saber.

"I can't wait to tell the captain!" The yellow one added, raising a net.

"Oh Captain Hody will be so proud!" The orange one finished and raised an old flintlock pistol Lupin hadn't seen in awhile. "Say your prayers human! We're ten times stronger and faster than your puny race, and we've been itching to kill some since we got here!"

"Oh? Glad to be your first then!" Lupin pandered.

The fishmen didn't take kindly to the joke. "DIE!"

**BANG!**

Lupin simply stepped to his left to avoid the bullet, and then to the right to avoid the sword. And when the bomb was thrown at him, he stuck his leg out and caught it in the dip of his foot, and then used it to sling-shoot it backwards towards some random crates below. He ran his two fingers across his head and examined them. "Seriously guys; I haven't even broken a sweat."

"Why you!" The purple one charged again, this time thrusting his sword forward. Lupin jumped away and landed in front of lit stage light, it was bright but doable. He smirked and took off his red pin-stripe jacket.

"Torro! Torro! Ole le!" He cheered.

"GAAAH!" The purple fishman roared and thrust his sword forward again.

And like a trained matador, Lupin twirled away with his red jacket, and allowed the man pierce the stage light.

**BZZZZZZZ!**

While the fishman was being electrocuted, Lupin made his way over to the man's right side, and grabbed a wooden pole. With one tremendous swing, he whacked the purple fishman with the pole, throwing him against his other two comrades.

The sudden shove caught the fishman by surprise, and the yellow one ended up dangling his flintlock over the edge. It slipped out of his hand after a moment.

With quick reflexes, Lupin used the pole to flip the gun up and allowed him to grab it in mid-air. "Thanks!"

**BANG! BANG!**

With two shots, Lupin shot the two ropes holding up their end of the railing, and with their combined weight, it was leveled instantly.

The orange fishman scoffed. "It's not like you'll escape here anyways."

"Oh yes, you!" Lupin flashed him a smile. "I need to give you an extra special thanks." Lupin then looked down at Vermouth and Jirokichi, who were watching the fight in both fright and astonishment. "Hope you're watching this Ver-chan! This is for you!"

With that, Lupin used his foot to kick the hilt of the saber sword up to his hand, and threw it straight at the final rope which was supporting the entire left side of the upper railing.

**CRASH!**

"You're crazy!" The yellow fishman accused, clutching to the railing as they were falling.

"Yeah...I've been called that before." Lupin nodded and gave a salute to the fishmen before departing. "Tell your captain I'll be meeting him soon." Lupin lassoed the wires again and grabbed a hold of a lower-raised sandbag which would allow him to land safely. "And by the way...everyone might want to get off the stage."

"Huh?" Everyone blinked at the statement.

**BOOOM!**

"There goes the bomb! Got to say I was expecting it not to last as long as it did next to the TNT crates I brought along!" Lupin smiled at the collapsing structure and as predicted

**BAANG!**

In a heap of flames, the railing and curtains came down in a black mass of remains, separating him from the authorities. Lupin smirked. "Now to find that kid."

Meanwhile, Vermouth was seething. Not only did Lupin manage to completely boggle her, but he also made sure it was only the stage that got destroyed, and had also made sure no one died in the rescue process. That bastard really was as good as people said he was!

"AFTER HIM! DON'T LET HIM ESCAPE!" Vermouth's screams filled the stadium.

**XXXXXXXXXXX**

Kid Kaitou was slowly making his way through the park that was behind the stage, but soon ran into trouble. It was several more fishmen, particularly, a yellow fishman called Hammond.

"Come now boy, it's past your bedtime." Hammond grinned and approached him with a raised gun. "Got to say...it's been a long time coming."

Kaitou growled; he didn't have his utility belt or equipment, and he was too malnourished to fight. "Out of my way."

"No I think-"

**ZUD!**

Hammond was suddenly glowing with blue electricity, and fell forward. Kaitou grinned at the revelation from that; for behind him was Lupin twirling the wire lasso. Only Lupin the III could find a way to make a mess of random wires useful against cold-blooded killers.

Lupin grinned at Kaitou's stunned face, and turned to go forward. "Come on! Everyone's waiting for us!"

"Waiting for us...?" Kaitou was confused.

"Yeah. Got to say I was quite shocked when I received a phone call from Konosuke-san." Lupin answered sprinting forward.

"Kono...JII CALLED YOU?!"

**XXXXXXXXXXX**

Vermouth bit her lip nervously as the investigation began. While there was no proof that Detective Nakamori was directly responsible, it had been the plan to hold him responsible had anything gon wrong. But they had no idea how much Lupin knew or how big of a threat he was a this point.

"Come now Vermouth...don't fret." The woman froze in her thoughts and slowly turned towards the person behind her. "If at first you don't succeed, try again. Isn't that a positive outlook to have?"

"Leader!" She stood up straighter immediately. "I apologize for this, as soon as we find the person responsible for the information-leakage-"

"Save it...we have Detective Nakamori and his daughter, it's all we'll need for the final touches regarding them." The leader waved off the concern.

"But Leader! What about Lupin-"

"I purposefully contacted his confidant woman, Fujiko Mine to help setup for such an occasion. Don't worry, our house of cards hasn't collapsed, in fact, another room has been added." The response completely floored his subordinate.

"But Leader! I never got any word of this!" Vermouth protested.

"I apologize, but I couldn't afford to let anyone else know due to the delicacy of the situation." The person said.

"I see. Please forgive me Leader." Vermouth bowed respectively. "What are your orders at this point?"

"On my orders you are to detain that detective and his daughter; we can't have Kaitou Kid assisting Lupin, otherwise it will be disastrous." The person started. "Next we start phasing out our extraterrestrial contractors; they've lived out their use."

"We will start at once." Vermouth nodded.

"Not yet. As your aware, Kudo is now at the Pathway Chamber, and will be executed there." Leader reminded calmly.

"IS there a problem with that?" Vermouth was confused.

"Don't start phasing out the contractors until Kudo's dead or they kill each other; we're in a weaker position diplomatically at the moment and need to watch our conduct." The person sighed, rubbing its forehead. "The world expected the downfall of the one of the greatest thieves of the current generation, and instead...they saw him swooped away by the greatest thief to ever live. America and China are going to jump at this chance, so for now...we'll leave the blood feuds in the shadows. Is that understood?"

"Yes Leader." Vermouth nodded.

"Oh and one more thing." The person said, lighting a cigarette. Utilize the others and tell them to get into position. Also, release Gin from his chambers won't you...he's been looking forward to seeing Kudo again."

**XXXXXXXXXXXX**

**DROP! DROP!**

Conan groaned at the feeling of water droplets falling onto his head...he slowly opened his eyes and found himself staring up at something strange...he wondered if he was dreaming or not. For what was above him looked to be an ocean, a dark blue ocean, but there were no light waves or auroras like all the cheesy life-before-death novels described; all he was experiencing was dark blue. And to add insult to injury, an angler fish passed him.

Wait...an ANGLER FISH?! Conan sat up abruptly, hissing in pain from his abrupt movement. He looked down at himself and realized that he was bound in rope, and his previous injuries had yet to be treated. The definite pain in his abdomen was more than enough evidence to indicate that this wasn't a dream, and his thrashing form Hody was real. Hody Jones...Rachel...

"No...Rachel..." Conan bit his lip, trying to prevent himself from crying; crying wouldn't do him any good in this situation.

"Good to see that you're awake Kudo." A familiar voice made Conan's blood freeze, and very slowly he turned his gaze downwards to the man he hoped he wouldn't face for awhile. But fate had never been that kind to him.

Leaning against a steel post, was Gin, flipping a knife up and down in his hand. He was just as tall, still wore black, and was smoking his signature cigarette, but that was the only thing that looked even familiar to the older version of himself. Gin's hair was now to his mid-back, having lost most of it in his fight with the boy in the other world, he had a prosthetic leg, and his arm was made of some sort of metal. It appeared to be light in color and weight, so Conan assumed it was an aluminum and cobalt alloy.

"I've been looking forward to this." Without warning, he threw the blade at the boy, narrowly missing his ear. But the ropes fell from the boy as soon as the knife made its impact on the opposite wall. Conan sat up more comfortably, and eyed the man in both caution and fright. "Calm down...our leader hasn't given the order to kill you yet, and besides...I wanted to do something special for your death. Considering all the trouble you've given us over the years, and most recently...the adjustments I've had to make on my body." He flexed his arm for emphasis. "Pretty isn't it?"

Conan didn't say anything, but stole glances at his surroundings. Despite his grief, his detective instincts were still kicking in. From what he could tell, they were underground and surrounded by water...then it dawned on him...they were in an aquarium!

Seeing the boy's astonishment, Gin explained. "Yep this is it...home sweet home. Or as most people know it as, the Tokyo Sea Life Park. Our whole organization runs this place, it's how we got the start-up funds initially. We happen to be in the lowest level, which is open for us, but not the public of course. What's really cool are fish like that angerl; there's one aquarium that runs all the way down to the ocean floor; it's how the park can remained structured where it is, yah know?"

Conan didn't say anything again; he was stunned at the revelation and just the fact that Gin was talking so much. He felt like such an idiot! This place was big enough for housing, Anita's lab, and whatever else they were doing! Not to mention it was the best place to hide...who in the world would think to look for a terrorist organization under an international...

"My God...that's how you established all these clients overseas...you originally told them that you guys needed to start up an aquatic recovery mission with this pack, but by the time they realized what this was actually about, it was too late." Conan said in realization.

"We already had our initial contacts in those countries, the officials were simply brought in to seal the deal." Gin replied and turned his back to Conan. "Come. There's something I want you to see before you die."

"How did I get here?" Conan asked hesitantly.

"Isn't it obvious? Jones brought you here after you had your little meltdown. So sad about your girlfriend by the way." The detective clenched his fists at the gunman's words. He slowly felt his terror converting to fury. "I also heard you didn't get to say goodbye, so sad. Parting is such sweet sorrow."

"Shut up. You did this! All of you did this!" Conan shouted. "If it wasn't for you and this organization, Rachel would still be alive! She would-"

"Don't blame us because you were too stupid to not value the time you had with her, detective. You, Kaitou Kid, and even Hattori-san seem to be in habit of ignoring your partners. But by the time you realize it's too late you are powerless to reverse it." Gin sighed.

"I hate you...I hate every single damn one of you!" Conan's eyes flared as the tears poured. "After you found out who I was, you went after everyone around me! Why didn't you just keep the fight with me?! Why?!"

"Us?" Gin snickered, leaning against the rail again. "You don't get it, do you? You're the one who led us to them, you were the one who made the decision to stay with them after we found out. It was you...who involved them Kudo...every last one of them. Kaitou Kid...Heiji Hattori...Rachel Moore...those children...the list goes on. Even in another world...you managed to place your loved ones and complete strangers in the path of death. Now do you understand...you weren't pursuing us Kudo...you never were. We were the ones chasing you."

"I wasn't running." The boy hissed.

"Sure you weren't. Otherwise you wouldn't have been hiding with harmless civilians right?" The terrorist shrugged. "But I guess it doesn't matter...your final moments have come and I have no business telling you how to spend them. Which brings me to my next question for you:...what now?"

"Excuse me?" Conan sputtered.

"You heard me...what do you plan to do now? Any last intentions you plan to fulfill before you die?" The silver-haired man looked him directly in the eye.

Conan was silent for a moment, before standing up straight. He looked up at Gin, with hatred, as if everything had finally sank in and his grief had taken over. "Over the past few years...I've accomplished things I never dreamed, experienced things I never thought possible, and have been pushed beyond my breaking point only to be dragged right back. And most recently...I freakin' traveled between worlds! None of what's happening in Japan right now should be happening, and yet it's happening right in front of my eyes! I don't even know what's real or what's delusion anymore. And with Rachel gone...I really don't care."

"So what do you want to do then?" Gin asked.

"What I should've done from the beginning...I'm going to kill you. Noting else matters anymore. If I die trying to avenge Rachel or restore Japan...then so be it." Conan growled.

Gin looked at the detective directly. "Are you sure?"

"Positive...in fact...I plan to start with you." Conan stepped forward.

Surprisingly, Gin didn't laugh, in fact he grinned. "Great. Follow me." Gin walked forward through a doorway, with Conan trailing behind him. Despite not having his backpack or skateboard, the detective felt like he could take on the Hun army at the moment. After several more moments of walking, Gin had lead them to an odd-looking metallic device.

The structure had a metal circular stricture in the middle, it was connected by a variety of electrical wires, and there were two metallic cylinders that remind Conan of egg-beaters on the left or right side of the structure. Conan frowned. "What is this place?"

"In our humble abode, we call this place the Pathway Chambers, for obvious reasons. This baby became obsolete as of recently, due to our obvious escapade. However...in its day we made quite a few accomplishments...animals...humans...and fishmen have all traveled to here." Gin told him.

Conan's frown went deeper. "Why are you showing me this? It doesn't work if the other side is destroyed right? And what relevance does this have now?"

"Wow...you really have snapped haven't you? The Detective Kudo I knew would've asked about every annoying detail possible." Gin sneered.

"Rachel was alive with that detective." Was the boy's response. "Now why are we here?"

"Oh, it's coming. But before we get into that...aren't you kind of curious of something?" Gin pointed out; seeing Conan wasn't going to answer, he continued. "Weren't you curious of how we knew fishmen would be able to pass through...after all...the biological differences are extraordinary."

Before Conan could ask what he meant a distinct snap was heard.

**CRACK!**

"Move it! Human-lover!" Hody Jones' voice caused Conan to whirl around, but that's not what stunned him- it was the woman he was torturing. She was obviously another fishmen, considering her head size and eye-shape were irregular. But what caught Conan's attention was the dress she was wearing- it was old and raggy, but seemed to have a golden fishscale look to it; there was a white sash around her waist, to emphasize her thin body. Though in terms of height compared to a human, she was actually quite normal. She had shackles on her hands and feet, with ligature marks all over her arms and legs. Her blonde hair was dirty, and her blue eyes had shed many tears, from what Conan observed.

The detective looked back at Gin. "Who is this woman?"

"Patients...the other one hasn't arrived yet." He answered.

**THUD!**

Conan practically jumped out of his skin when he heard a hard body land only a few feet away from him and the terrorist. It was another fishman, this was one was significantly taller and had red skin color. His hair was long and bushy, and though tall...he was fairly thin...h obviously had lost a lot of muscle mass.

Now the detective was just dumbfounded. "Who are these people?"

"Well, I'm not sure if you heard of Tiger-san...but he is censored a great hero to fishmen back home...not including Jones-san and his crew." Gin explained.

Hody grinned. "Yeah...I hate working with humans, but I have to say...to be able to torture human-lovers like this was once in a lifetime."

Conan glared. "That's how you got Jones-san on board with this...to enslave these two people?"

"Yes...they do stand against everything Jones-san believes in after all, don't they?" He indicated to the burly fishman.

"Yes...but reeducating them has been quite a process. Tiger-san believes that there's still hope for human and fishmen relations, and Otohime...she just pisses me off." Jones grinned, tightening the whip again.

"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself. Would it be okay if I formally introduced Kudo here?" Gin asked politely.

Jones grinned. "Sure!" He glared at the two prisoners. "Oi! Sit up!"

The one called Tiger glared. "Screw yourself hypocrite."

**CRACK!**

Tiger fell to the ground with a grunt, having still not gotten used to that damn thing. He looked at Otohime, she wasn't much better.

Jones frowned and smirked at Conan. "Well detective...before you go...allow me to introduce you to the 'Hero' of the fishman race, Fisher Tiger." He indicated to the tall man, who finally turned his attention to the small boy. "And the Queen of Fishmen...Otohime, the wife of Neptune...and the mother of-"

"Shirahoshi-san." Conan finished, utterly stunned at this point. Slowly, the golden woman raised her head up to look at the human boy as well; uncertainty and confusion dawned upon her face at how he knew the name of her daughter. "You're...Shirahoshi-san's mother...Queen Otohime..." Conan stepped back a few times before grabbing his head and dropping to his knees.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?!"

**Review please! No, this is not for shock-value, Otohime and Fisher Tiger are actually legitimately part of the story, and I've had this idea in mind from the beginning. Thank you. Leave the concerns in the reviews or PMs, thanks.**


	17. Stacked Up Odds

**Hey guys! Here's the next chapter, enjoy! Read, enjoy, and review!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece and Case Closed**

After their escape, Lupin had lead them to an old luxury car, and they had been driving for the past half hour. Kaitou wondered where they were going, but couldn't hide his excitement for the fact that he was right next to the most famous thief in the world. Which reminded him- "So...you know Jii?" Kaitou fidgeted in the passenger seat.

"Yep! He was a great friend of my grandfather, and we've kept in contact over the years." The thief smiled, and swerved to avoid hitting a tree. They were also driving in the middle of the forest, due to the fact that they obviously couldn't take any roads. "Jii-san called me after he discovered your cellphone was off during your last heist. He found it extra suspicious when he called this 'Aoko-chan', and found that she had fainting spell and you were mysteriously gone afterwards, he figured something was wrong."

"How'd you know it was this big?" Kaitou asked.

"Coicidentally...my lovely Fujiko got a call from an anonymous employer who asked her to steal the same documents you did, only they wanted the 'original' copies." Lupin explained.

"Original...I don't get it. If what I was stealing was a fake, then what was the point of retrieving those items?" The teen thief asked.

"Well from what Hattori-kun and Kudo-san have deduced so far, the Sebastian family made up the stuff you needed to steal, but there was a code encrusted into the items somewhere, which would lead to the real thing." Lupin answered.

"So the real thing being..." Kaitou inquired.

"Isn't it obvious?" Lupin made a money sign and winked. "The Sebastian family is innocent, it's just about destroying the proof that said otherwise."

Kaitou's eyes widened in realization. "Just how much do you know about what's going on? I knew that was the Sebastian's emblem on the box I found, but..."

"Oh I know everything about what's going on, including these Black Organization people, the fishmen, the whole nine-yards!" Lupin explained.

Kaitou thought for a second and then t dawned on him. "They weren't after the things I stole...they were aiming to use them as replacements for the real artifacts. But they needed Mine-san to pull off the final heist cause they wouldn't have been able to decifer the code."

"A bit slow on this detective stuff, aren't yah?" The older thief snickered.

"Thieves don't need to think like detectives." Kaitou scoffed.

"Oh contraire'! Every thief should know their detective skill! Keeps the mind versatile and the skills sharp! Besides...the more you think like a detective, the more likely you won't get caught." Lupin advised.

"Their idiots who work for the corrupt." Kaitou scoffed.

"Harsh words for your girlfriend's father." Lupin whistled. "Take a word of advise kid, have it good with the in-laws...it'll make your life so much easier."

"Aoko's father's a buffoon...but...I can't say he's corrupt." Kaitou admitted, but then his eyes widened. "Aoko! We need to go back for her!"

"Going back isn't an option at this point, and if you wish to save her I recommend waiting for a bit. For now, they are assets and they won't risking losing them quite yet. After all...they're the only thing that they have over us, other than Kudo himself." Lupin explained pleasantly.

Furrowing his brow in confusion, Kaitou responded. "What do you mean?"

"Oh. You'll see." The car came to a sudden stop in front of bunch of old Japanese maple trees. Getting out a remote, Lupin pushed a button, the trees shook until all the leaves fell off, and the trees slowly shifted out of the way, revealing a silver platform...big enough for the car to park on. Which was exactly what Lupin did.

Kaitou knew he had nothing to fear with the older thief but he wasn't sure what to expect. When the lowering finally ceased, he looked around himself to find that he seemed to be in an underground mansion of some kind...with...a lot of people here.

"Ah Kaitou...I was wondering when you'd get here." An oddly familiar and obnoxious British accent spoke. The thief turned to his left and was stunned to see Jii and his arch-nemesis, Saguru, sharing a grape soda. "Enjoy your trip with the famous Lupin the III?"

"British bastard?! Jii?! What the hell is going on here?!" He exclaimed.

"Good to see you too Master Kaitou, I believe the rest of the group is about to be collected." Jii sipped his beverage.

"Group?" That was when Katiou finally looked around himself to observe the people in this mini-mansion flat set up. And found almost everyone he had ever met in Japan in this room. There was the Tokyo Police Department, Detective Moore, Heiji Hattori, those kids, some adults he didn't recognize, and other people he assumed were somehow associated with Kudo. Some were calm, others seemed scared, and some were simply enjoying the luxuries provided in this underground manor. He briefly noticed the famous Fujiko Mine tending to Rachel Moore on the couch with what he assumed to be, her parents. "What is this place?"

"This! Is is one my Japan hideouts! Fujiko took the liberty of redecorating this place, looks great huh?!" Lupin slapped his shoulder.

"Uh Lupin-san...as much of an honor as it's been to meet you...I still don't have a clear picture of what's going on." Kaitou said hesitantly.

"Wait for it!" Lupin responded.

"MAKOTO!" A shrill cheer erupted from another end of the lair, which caused everyone to turn towards it. There was Serena Sebastian, hugging her long-distance boyfriend, Matako Kyogoku desperately, as if she hadn't seen him in years. "Thank God you're okay...thank you Jigen-san!"

"No problem Ojo-san." The escort gunman tipped his hat politely, and looked up at his boss. "Gang's all here Lupin."

"Great! And with Aoko-chan and her father the remaining hostages, we can trust Kaitou-kun not to do something stupid in his attempts to upstage me!" He slapped the younger detective's shoulder again.

"HEY!" The younger thief yelled indignantly.

"You would sir." Jii sipped again.

"JII!" Kaitou yelled. "It would've been great!"

"HAHA! Keep dreaming kid, cause you're two thousands years too early to pass me!" Lupin laughed and jumped up to the highest level above everyone, which happened to be a sofa on the second floor of the underground escape. This thing reminded Kaitou of a movie set. "Anyways...now that everyone's here, we can get down to business. First and foremost, how many of you know Conan Edogawa." Everyone in the room raised their hand. "Great! Now how many of you know Jimmy Kudo?" Some ands went down, but almost half of them stayed. "Okay, now how many of you now know that Conan Edogawa and Jimmy Kudo are one in the same?" Surprisingly, all the hands went up, which surprised the thief. "Guess you guys had a lot to talk about in that coral prison huh?"

"It's the kid's fault that we're all in this mess, my daughter almost drowned, and that we're in the middle of the rising climax reminiscent of the 'Dark Knight Rises'." Detective Moore scoffed.

"Is that what you were told or is that you actually think?" Lupin asked.

"We were told by that Hody-character about this other world filled with water, and how his species should've ruled as the dominant species." Chief Meguire explained. "He told us that he managed to get in cause this Black Organization sent Kudo in first."

"So it's the little guy's fault for being kidnapped then?" Lupin pointed out.

"No, but it is his fault that those Black Organization people even have interest in us at all. If not for him, Rachel wouldn't have gotten hurt, and we wouldn't be in such a state." Kazuha grumbled.

"That's a bit petty." Lupin looked at his comrades, and seeing as they were clearly ready to get this show on the road, Lupin decided to cut the mediation crap out. "Okay...here's the deal, I am going to tell you all a story, and then you are going to judge Jimmy Kudo. We good on that?"

After a brief silence, Serena shrugged. "Couldn't hurt I guess, please give us the whole picture Lupin-sama."

"Be glad to." He swirled a chair and sat down, placing his hands on his knees, he looked out in the crowd and spotted a familiar top-hat. "Sabo-san was it? Come up here and tell the story with me!"

The top hat man walked up the stairs on the side of the leveled 2nd story and stood beside him. "I'd be glad to. There once was a man named Gol. D. Roger, who was King of the Pirates in this world water. He was famous for many exploits, but most famous for his death. Before his execution...he told the pirates of the world that while he had no set successor...he had hidden his treasure for the next pirate king to find. This treasure is famously called 'One Piece'."

**XXXXXXXXXXX**

Conan groaned and slowly opened his eyes once again…quickly remembering why he had fainted previously, he looked down at himself to find that while he wasn't bound, he was in cell of some kind. He was in a dark room, with bars on the entrance door, with no food or toilet, indicating that they weren't planning on keeping him around for long.

"So you're finally awake, huh?" Conan practically jumped out of his skin and looked around to see the red fishman that Hody Jones had been beating. But in contrast to himself, the fishman was heavily bound by chains with a remote-control lock. "Took you long enough, you've been out for hours."

Conan blinked for a moment before responding. "I've been here since yesterday haven't I? Which means that Kaitou's probably already been unveiled."

"Nice to meet you too, human brat." Tiger sweatdropped.

"Sorry." Conan mumbled. "I'm Conan Edogawa, but my real name is Jimmy Kudo."

"So I've heard." The fishman replied curtly.

"If you knew who I was, then why'd you have me introduce myself?!" The boy exclaimed.

"Just wanted to confirm if it was actually you. I also hear that you're the one who gave Jones the opportunity to see if Fishmen could pass through the portal." Tiger gave the boy a pointed glare.

Conan reacted with his own. "I'm sorry, who are you again?"

Snorting, the other answered. "The name is Fisher Tiger, and before I was taken into slavery by you disgusting humans, I used to be one of the main protectors of Fishman Island. The only good that came out of this was that Jones came to this world to ruin, and King Neptune's kingdom was spared a poison like him."

"You know King Neptune?" Conan was surprised.

"Of course, you do?" Tiger was equally surprised.

"Yeah…I met him when I visited Fishman Island when I was in your universe." Conan explained carefully. "I…met Neptune-sama and his children. I was told that Otohime-san was killed by a fishman, but a human was framed for the death."

Tiger's frown deepened. "I see…so they don't suspect anything, and by that logic…they wouldn't have gone looking for Otohime either."

"What reason would they have? From what I was told, Otohime-san was publicly executed." Conan responded. "She also told her children not to hate her killer, and her daughter knew who it was, but didn't say anything. There's already a poison on that island, Tiger-san, it's called stupidity."

The fishman didn't take too kindly to that comment. "Oh really?"

"Yeah…in fact…if Shirahoshi-san had been smart enough to confess that she had knowledge of her mother's killer, then he would've been caught much sooner, most likely preventing him from causing any damage to your world or mine." Conan walked over to the opposite of the cell and sat down, resting his forehead on his arms. "It was the stupidity of secrecy, you think if you stay quiet the situation will eventually resolve itself."

The fishman scoffed. "My, you're arrogant aren't you? What would you possibly know about what Shirahoshi-hime and Otohime-sama have been through?"

"Cause I'm just as stupid as they are." Conan didn't look up when he answered. Tiger stopped his jab, and listened to his response. "I kept my identity a secret in the hopes that I could resolve the situation myself, a solution would present itself, or that…somehow…I'd be able to defeat them. That 'praying for a miracle' method, ended up costing me my closest friend…and the love of my life. I failed in every aspect here Tiger-san…"

"I see…" Tiger honestly felt abashed by the boy's story, not expecting such forwardness from the human. Deciding that an exchange of truths could help ease the situation, he sighed. "Want to hear my story?"

Conan didn't look up, but the fishman knew he was listening.

"Originally…I was the boss of the streets of Fishman Island; I got along with everyone there, and I kept the peace. I watched my men grow from street thugs to respectable leaders, and…I traveled the world. But along my travels…I fell victim to the Tenryutbito." He admitted.

Conan looked up at him in surprise, recalling the horrific conditions of Hachi and Keimi in that auction house. "You were a slave…?"

"Yes…it was at then I developed my hated of humans. How they would work you to death, trick you into breaking rules, using every excuse possible to allow torture. I hated it all…but the final straw came when I saw one of them kill and cook a fishman child. I was forced to watch in a similar state I'm in now, but I had a bomb collar on then." Tiger explained.

Swallowing, Conan willed himself to respond. "With all do respect Tiger-san…how is this relevant?"

Ignoring the question, Tiger continued. "Eventually…I managed to escape that wretched place…but…I couldn't bear to leave the other fishmen slaves…I also couldn't bear to leave the humans either. The last slaves I freed were three human women…one of them had beautiful black-hair and blue eyes…the other was orange-haired and slightly taller than the black-hair…and the last one had the head of the snake and was the tallest."

Conan's eyes widened in recognition, that matched the Boa sisters completely.

"But…it was their rescue that was my undoing." He smiled to himself in spite of the situation. "After I freed those women, their guards caught up to me and I was shot with tranquilizer…I was wounded and lost almost all my strength by that point…I was really exhausted by the time I woke up." Tiger chuckled. "When I woke up I was in Dr. VegaPunk's lab, and they said that since I was too large of a liability to be a slave, and not enough of a symbol to execute…that they would use me for their little experiment. I was sent in the second you passed through. You were unconscious."

Conan clenched his fists. "So you recognized me when you first saw me. Why didn't you tell me?! What'd they do to me?!"

"I recognized you, but I didn't know who you were. I also saw no point in telling you, considering we have nothing better to discuss, and they did nothing to you as far as I know. Several government officials took you away, and I sent away after that." Tiger sighed. "Anyways…Otohime-sama was sent here soon after I was. It seemed as though we were both held as prisoners before being sent through as your exchange."

"Otohime-san was also a prisoner…?" Conan repeated in uncertainty. Come to think of it, she was supposed to be dead. "Was she…a prisoner at one point as well?"

"No, she wasn't." Tiger answered. "But…she did get captured. In our timeline, from what I was told, ten years ago…a Tenryubito came to fishman island to retrieve his escaped slaves, but his ship crashed, and his helmet cracked."

"His helmet cracked?" That perked Conan's interest, according to his theory, those bubble-bastards shouldn't have been able to breathe fresh air. Then again…if it was specialized air like on Fishman Island, then he could see it being a loophole. Gulping, he asked: "So what happened next?"

"Well…one thing lead to another, and somehow Otohime-sama managed to convince that bastard and her family, to allow herself to escort him back to his palace. Alone." Tiger grimaced when he remembered Otohime's sobbing.

"I don't care what anyone says, that is just plain stupid." Conan scoffed. "What was she possibly hoping on accomplishing by doing that?"

"Sadly, I'm going to have to side with you on this one. She never should've gone alone, and never should've been in that location in the first place. "However…her idea was that if she approached to them as a fellow leader, that they might appeal her idea of complete amnesty. As in…she was hoping to get a peace treaty signed by them, not only stating fishmen and human as equals, but made it forbidden to take them as slaves."

"She honestly thought they were going to listen?" Conan asked.

"At the time yes, however…when she got there…they captured and branded her a slave like me, and was used as such until we were sent over." Tiger explained.

Gulping…Conan asked: "Did Jones follow you as well?"

"He and his men came about a day later." Tiger answered. "And after witnessing his madness…I don't which one's worse. My own kind or the humans going mad with power."

Conan looked away sadly. "It's an ugly sight regardless, wouldn't you say?"

Looking at the boy, the fishman nodded. "I suppose it is yes…seems as though failure has bitten all of us in the ass."

"Yeah…but this time, it had rabies." Conan chuckled. "I…think I've hit rock bottom at this point."

"Considering where we are, I'd say its appropriate." Tiger agreed. "You'll get used to being a bottom-scraper, Otohime and I both had to contend with that fact."

"Doesn't sound like that'll be an issue for much longer." Conan shrugged. "Gin-san's planning some sadistic setup to kill me, and it sounds like Jones-san is about done torturing you two."

"You going to give up or fight?" Tiger asked.

"I'm not dying until I kill Gin-san." Conan stated.

"Kill? From what I heard, you were heavily against killing." Tiger remembered the Black Organization's mockery of the boy's ideals. "Not to mention…I heard you made miracles back in my world. What happened to that?"

"The miracles died when Rachel died." Conan stated bluntly. "My ideals are the things that held me back, which is what killed her."

"Kid…" Tiger sighed, he could emphasize with the boy, he truly could, but…seeing the detective so resigned simply didn't seem right. "This 'Rachel' wouldn't want you to give up would she?"

"Of course not. She'd tell me to clear my head and figure out a way to save myself and everyone else." Conan smiled when he thought of her. "She's…always put others before herself…I found it both endearing and irritating."

"Hey!" A thought just occurred to Tiger. "She wouldn't happen to be the one to put Hody in a choke-hold with furniture twine, would she?" Conan nodded. "Wow! For a human, she must've been incredibly strong. Fishmen are-"

"Ten times faster and stronger than-" Conan suddenly stood up as if a lighting bolt struck his brain.

"Kid?" Tiger rose a brow at the sudden action.

"Shirahoshi-san told me that her mother was executed in front of the entire kingdom with a gunshot, when you just told me that she was taken as a slave several days before that." Conan rubbed his head in contemplation.

"What? How's that possible?" Tiger was now as confused as the detective.

"Not to mention, the gunshot that was allegedly from a human…Tiger-san…in her best days, could Otohime-san fight at all?" The detective inquired.

"She could dodge bullets, but other than her speed, she didn't have man fighting attributes to herself." The fishman answered warily.

"So not only was she shot by a bullet she could ordinarily dodge, but she was also seen _after _she was taken as a slave." Conan concluded.

"Well now that you put it like that, it is pretty weird." Fisher Tiger admitted. "But I don't get it…how would Otohime-sama be in two places at once?"

Remembering the Tenryubito's blueprints, Conan clenched his fists, feeling even angrier than before. "She wasn't. They cloned her."

"What?" Tiger couldn't have heard right.

"They sent a clone of her to act as though she was making progress on Fishman Island, only to have the clone slaughtered. The same happened with you in some way I imagine. Both of your deaths were the biggest contributors to the conflict between fishmen and humans." Conan growled.

"How…is that possible? How could anyone fall for that?!" Tiger demanded.

"I don't know! How could anyone tolerate the oppression the Black Organization is dishing out right now?! Considering the technology I saw there, cloning isn't that far-fetched of an idea. Just as the Tenryutbito." Seeing the fishman's disbelief, he continued. "While I was there, I uncovered the real reason behind why the Tenryubito couldn't take off their helmets around others. It's not that they don't want to breath common air, it's more like they can't. Those bubble-bastards are artificial lifeforms which were designed to be figureheads by the World Government. Behind their atrocities, the World Government was allowed to do unspeakable things."

"But! The one with Otohime was-"

"Most likely a body-double. Most politicians have a person who looks like them go out to masses in case of assassination attempts. Here, I imagine is no different. In fact, it's probably safe to assume they did this every time they went out." Conan answered. "Without those helmets, they would've shriveled up like a raisin if exposed to natural air. So cloning really isn't that far out of the ball park here."

Gazing at the floor, Tiger mumbled. "Poseidon help us."

"I don't believe in any kind of God, I just want to make one last delivery to the devil." Conan growled.

"Even after making that deduction, you still want to kill?" Tiger questioned.

"What does it matter to you?" Conan scoffed.

"It matters to me cause I made the same mistake you're about to commit." Tiger admitted. "Revenge brings nothing, and it changes nothing, it'll only make you more bitter about the present once you realize you are powerless to bring the one you love back. And before you know it, your future is stolen in the brink of your anger…take a look at me for example." Tiger sighed. "I'm supposed to be one of the greatest heros of Fishman Island, and I couldn't save a child."

"What's your point?" The detective muttered.

"My point is…you still have the chance to save everyone…don't throw it away." Tiger said.

"I couldn't save the most important person in the world to me, what makes you think I'm capable of saving anyone?!" Conan shouted.

"Because you still want to!" Tiger shouted back but then calmed himself. "I can't force you to do anything obviously, and I hate the idea of trusting a human, but…if you honestly had given up, you wouldn't have made that deduction. Or am I wrong?"

Sinking to his knees, tears started falling again from the boy's eyes. "Rachel always hated this part of me, and now I see why. No matter how bad things get, I always put solving the crimes first before giving up, it made thing both dangerous and inconvenient for her. I can't tell you how many times I stood her up because of that." He wished so badly that he could go back to every date he had missed and actually go on them with her.

"Kudo…" Tiger murmured.

"Despite that…I can't give it up…I have to solve this case." Conan stood his ground firmly.

Gin looked at for a moment before smirking dangerously, as if a thought just came into his head. "Okay Detective Boy...but re-accepting your role as hero will bring back old villains." Gin held out his prosthetic arm and one of the fingers shot out and wrapped around the boy's body.

Conan fell to the ground and struggled. "Damn it!"

Gin looked back at Hody, who was watching the detective boy struggle in amusement. "Care to remind him of the old pains, Jones-sama?"

"Heh. I gotta say." He tossed his torture item aside and roughly stepped over Otohime, earning a gasp from the former queen. "I despise humans, but I love the way you think Gin. Now then...what should I start with?"

"You of course may start with whatever you want Jones-sama...but...if I may make a suggestion...I recommend the first pain he experienced when he entered that world. I believe this should substitute for magma." Gin pulled something out of a barrel behind him, it was a pole with a flat end on it; he walked it over to an area with open ends and turned a knob.

**SPIT!**

Conan's eyes widened; flames that reminded him of a bunsen burner came out and fell on the rod. It then dawned on the detective just what they were planning to do and started struggling desperately, backing himself up several inches. "No..."

Hody smirked and accepted the hot metal from Gin. "Saa...where should I start?"

**XXXXXXX**

"And with Chief Zenigata tying things up on the international front with the ICPO handling the Yakuza branches, we're good." Lupin finished his story. "Any questions?"

Slowly, Heiji raised his hand up. "So let me get this straight: Kudo was sent to another world, in which Sabo-san is from, as part of a Black Organization experiment. Kudo then saved that world by having everyone make peace with each other, and made this crazy escape back here?"

Saguru raised his hand next. "Then, because the portal didn't close properly last time, and when the portal was open when Kudo was sent through, we have all these other-world assailants to deal with. Who have taken over the Yakuza and the Japanese Diet already."

"But as I said, that's being taken care of!" Lupin pointed out.

"And finally…Kudo was actually Conan Edogawa this whole time, and was turned into a kid, by this Black Organization, who also happens to be the main contributors of the entire situation we're in." Kaitou spoke up.

"Yep!" Lupin nodded.

"Okay…and why did these 'BlueJam' pirates take over the Sebastian family?" Matako asked.

"I can answer that…the Sebastians made some bad deals in the past." Serena answered glaring at her mother.

"Ah that! We'll need to verify that, which brings me to our next point: assigning jobs!" Lupin announced cheerfully.

"Excuse me?" Black rose a brow at the thief. "You can't possibly expect us to help Kudo after all this, do you?"

"It's not about helping Kudo, so much as preserving your way of life. Let me remind everyone that while you are all angry, there is no time to pout. If we act now while the enemy is confused, we'll be able to take back the city." Lupin explained.

"Even by that logic, how could we? Sabo-san just said that those fishmen creeps were ten times stronger and faster than humans." Detective Moore pointed.

"Again, we will assign roles! First off: Haibara and Agasa!" Lupin got the two scientists' attention. "First things first, Jien will escort you two down to whatever lab you need to start working on that portal thingie. The sooner we get it running, the sooner we can send these guys back, sound good?"

"But it's a two-way portal…we can't." Agasa was cut-off.

"Trust me when I say that it'll work." The thief winked. "But before that, you two need to be making everyone weapons. Make shock resistant suits for everyone here, cause we're going to conduct water and electicity; these guys are weak against heat, so we'll filet 'um."

"Ano…Lupin-sama?" Little Amy raised her hand. "What if…we can't help with the fighting?"

"Don't you worry little lady, I have an important job for you and you friends, along with Rachel-chan!" Lupin smiled.

"If she's going, then I'm going." Serena wasn't about to be separated from her best friend again, especially not in her condition.

"Fine, the more familiar faces the better. In fact…Kazuha-chan…you'll join them too, won't you? They'll need a good bodyguard." Lupin requested.

Heiji frowned. "Isn't Mine-san going with them?"

"Nope! I need Fujiko to work with Kaitou! You two will stand by for your assignments!" He responded with a salute.

"But-"

Booker cut-off Heiji's protest. "What do you want me and Vivian to do?"

"I'll need a set of electronic hackers, in which, I've heard and several other people are wonders at. AS for Vivian-chan…I'll need her disguise skills." Lupin answered. "Now…our second priority is obviously finding Kudo…he's alive, but the question is for how long."

"And why would we care about him?" Richard glared.

"Cause until he's the dead, the Black Organization aren't going to pull their trump card, so the best thing we can do here is switch hands while we can." Lupin turned to Sabo. "I don't know much about these BlueJam people, so I'll leave them in your capable hands."

"Much obliged." Sabo tipped his top-hat to the man.

"Now then…last but not least…the Sebastians! I'll need you on this one Hattori-kun! Saguru-kun! You two will be working alongside Fujiko-chan and Kaitou-kun to not only rescue some hostages, but to clear the Sebastians' name!" Lupin declared.

"Clear the Sebastian's name?" Heiji looked at Eva Kadan, who had been with the women the whole time. "What are they talking about?"

"Nothing important. Lupin-san…what will my role be?" She asked.

"Aw! You will be apart of the hacking committee…when the time comes…make the amendments they made a little more…fair." Lupin implied.

"You mean give the police their power back, of course." She pushed her glasses up. "Glad to do it."

"Okay, for all CIA and FBI, you'll be in the front lines with Goemon-san and Matako-san here! Sabo-san will be leading you! As for everyone else: I need people who can outride vehicles and make a fire arm out of old antique models! Sound good?" The thief smiled.

When no one objected, and his comrades nodded at him, Lupin smirked. "Right! Now then…let's get this party started!"

**Review please! Review or PM if you have any questions or concerns!**


	18. Luck Changes with the Tide

**Hey guys! Here's the next chapter! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece or Case Closed**

They had been placed back in Fisher Tiger's cell, where the fishman had once again been chained up, and Conan had been thrown in there. At first, Tiger thought the human boy was dead, but after seeing his chest rise slightly every so often, he knew the boy was alive. Conan hadn't moved or spoken in an hour; the boy's back was to Tiger in a disheveled position.

"Hey kid..." Tiger finally spoke, the silence was killing him more than the cattle prods he had suffered. "You gonna be okay...?"

Conan didn't answer or move to the response, his mind was still stuck in what occurred just ten minutes beforehand. After he announced that he was going to continue to try to stop the plan...he ended up back in Blackbeard's brink. Even if it had meant to emulate Akainu's injury, the terror that shot through Conan had been reminiscent to Blackbeard and his mean making fun of his terror. All the months of effort and recovery had gone down the drain, he felt as though he was back on some pirate ship or marine base, helpless in controlling his own fate. Yes, that burn made him remember every aspect of his terror, but it also made him realize that regardless of what world he was in...he wasn't safe. No one was safe.

"Rachel..." He mumbled. "I'm sorry...I...never focused on what was important."

"Whose Rachel?" A voice interrupted his thoughts, and he looked over to the other occupant in the room.

Conan briefly wondered how long he had lain on the floor and chuckled. "My best and worst decision of my life..."

Giving a light-hearted chuckle, Tiger responded. "That's the story of all ex-girlfriends...kid...you'll learn that."

"No...she was more than a girlfriend...not that I let it progress to that level." Conan muttered. "I'm not sure how much you know about me but...I was turned into kid a couple years ago; I'm actually seventeen, just trapped in this state cause of the Black Organization."

"Okay...what does that have to do with this 'Rachel'?" Tiger inquired.

"All this time I've been a kid, I've been living with her and her father. I didn't tell her the truth cause I was too afraid to. I was afraid to admit I screwed up, afraid to admit I had gotten her and her family into all this danger, and...I couldn't face up to the fact that I never realized what I had in front of me the entirety of my life. We grew up together, and it took a life-altering mistake to show me how much she means to me. So no...I never had her as a girlfriend, but...she means a hell of a lot more to me than that." Conan smiled, and then realized that his chains were off. He slowly sat u, recognizing that they were now in a locked room of some kind. "How long have we been in here?"

"Not long, just an hour I think." Tiger answered. "I'm sorry about you and this Rachel-girl. She sounds like a real gem."

"She is...she's the kind of person who saves your ass even though she's furious with you. She saved me before Hody-san could catch me the first time, but...I couldn't save her the next time. Hody-san ended up getting me either way." Conan muttered.

"I see...she sounds to be truly loyal." Tiger nodded.

"She was...I was an idiot to think I was remotely worthy of her. She was willing to go up against a fishman to save me, and I couldn't even get to her in time. Why is it I only mess up when it actually counts?" Conan asked himself.

"Care to explain?" The fishman asked.

"You probably know I managed to save a world that wasn't even mine. Aside from that, I've solved countless murders, and have done so many good deeds for different people. But with the people closest to me, like Rachel, my parents, or my friends...they get hurt, I don't call them enough, and I never pay enough attention when they need me." Conan sighed.

"It took you going through a different world to figure that out?" Tiger asked.

"Going to a different world taught me just how truly powerless I am as a human being without any special abilities other than my deductive skills. Losing Rachel has taught me that I took everything for granted. So yeah...I suck at being a person." Conan sighed.

"Humans suck in general." Tiger stated bluntly. "But...I wouldn't say you suck as a person. That'll depend on the decisions you make from here."

Conan looked over at him. "What are you talking about?"

"I understand that your feeling lost and terrified, and it sucks that your most precious person died. But it sounds like you have more precious people who need you, so whatcha' gonna do?" Tiger asked.

"What do you care?" Conan inquired.

"Because I don't want you to take the same action my clone did." Tiger's words surprised Conan. "You were right...the world government replaced me with a clone several months after I got enslaved by those damned celestial dragons. During that time, it formed a pirate grew with the fishmen I knew from the district I grew up in, as well as some of the fishmen slaves. They had fun for awhile it sounds like, but eventually...they messed up. My clone ended up bringing back a slave girl to her home island where she reunited with her mother. But...the Navy had been waiting for them."

"What do you mean?" Conan asked.

"Somehow, the World Government knew that my clone would bring the girl back to that island, so in exchange for not bringing that little back into that hellhole, the islanders sold my clone out. My clone and crew were ambushed and barely made it out." Tiger answered looking down. "Wanna guess how it died?"

"Blood loss from its injuries I would imagine." Conan answered logically.

"You were right...it lost too much blood...one fatal shot to the heart." Conan's eyes widened at that statement. "But the worst part was...my clone could've saved himself. They hijacked a navy ship and attempted to transfer the blood into that thing's body. But my clone stated that it's body couldn't accept human blood in its system cause of all the hatred it had for them. It died on the table I was told."

There were many biological rebuttals Conan had in mind but chose to hold them back. "So what does that have to do with now?"

"If that had really been me...I would've made the same choice." Tiger admitted. "I was so angry at the Tenryubito, furious at the human's system for letting it happen to me, and pissed that they gave our queen false hope and treated her like a dog. Even if that had been the real me, I doubt I could bring myself to let me body accept it." Conan stayed silent and waited for him to finish. "I would've ended up abandoning my crew and worsening the relationship between humans and fishmen...all cause of my damned pride. So my question to you is: are you selfish enough to abandon the other people important to you as well? Is your fear stronger than what you feel for them?"

Conan frowned. "Well first off...biologically speaking, you and your crew probably would've grabbed the wrong blood type." Tiger frowned at the response. "In panic frenzies people don't tend to read labels, regardless of their species it seems. Secondly, with all of the physiological differences between humans and fishmen, it wouldn't have worked anyways."

"Kid...what are you-"

"Despite those conveniences...you were ready to give up anyways...and you're right...dying it the easy way out." Conan continued. "But as you can tell from my appearance...I'm not one for the easy way."

In spite of the situation, Tiger gave a supportive smile. "I see. So what do you plan to do then?"

"I don't know." Conan frowned, and cringed as he felt the wound on his stomach. He noted it had been bandaged the same way as the Navy base. "But...I'm not ready to give up. I can beat them...Gin-san, Hody Jones, and everyone else whose screwing around with us. Tiger-san...I can't promise to send you or Otohime-san home, but...I can't beat these guys alone-"

"Say no more...I'm in." Tiger said firmly.

"Good." Nodding Conan continued. "First thing's first, we need to rescue Otohime-san and get a firm grasp of the layout of this place."

"Agreed. I've only seen several humans and Hody's crew come through here...so being outnumbered shouldn't be an issue." Tiger confirmed.

"Okay...next in case we get separated, the fishmen are likely to come after me, so I need to figure out how to fight them, or at least come up with an attack method. You mentioned the heart area as a weakness...care to iterate on that?" Conan asked.

At this, Tiger was actually hesitant. "I can...but I want your word of silence and submission. If any human found out these weaknesses, it could potentially devastate out species. Should I detect any hint of betrayal on you regarding this information...I will kill you myself."

Conan looked the man in the eye. "Then why tell me to begin with?"

"Because I'm not ready to give up either." Tiger admitted. "I've tried, but I can't bring myself to. It's part of what's kept me going and waiting for so many years. So I beg you...don't make me kill you over a false promise."

"Don't worry I'm done with those." Conan responded and slowly made his way over to the fishman. "There's a saying for people about to enter an unknown realm or territory they're not familiar with, and along that comes with utter terror and anticipation."

"Really...what's that?" Tiger rose a brow.

"Abandon all hope for ye who enter here." Conan looked around on the floor and managed to find a paperclip, and started undoing Tiger's locks. "You think that applies to us?"

**DROP!**

Tiger rubbed his wrists in appreciation and gave the boy a smirk. "No...not yet."

**XXXXXXXXXXXX**

Vermouth pursed her lips, not liking the current situation they were in was not ideal. At the moment, the executive members of her organization, as well as BlueJam and several of his crew members, and finally...all of the fishmen representatives from that fiasco of an unvielment ceremony. Her co-workers present were Bourbon, Korn, and Gin's right-hand man- Vodka. She was kind of hoping to see Gin, considering that he had been off his hinges lately.

"Hey pretty lady..." BlueJam winked at Vermouth. "If this meeting ain't startin'...how about having a drink with me to pass the time?"

"I'd rather drink kerosene." The woman stated bluntly.

"Come on Vermouth, it'd be the most action you'd get in years." Snickered Bourbon.

"Fraternizing would not be a wise decision." Korn said, reading a book on the couch beside Bourbon.

Stanidnig on the far side of the room, were the fishmen representatives...the ones that got fryed by Lupin, along with a couple others. The head representatives of the group were: Hyouzo, Daruma, Hammond, and Dosun. Ther leader was nowhere to be found, all they knew was that their leader was with Kudo and that Black Organization member.

"Are we about ready to start yet?" Hyouzo asked. "In all seriousness...we have to meet up with the assignments Captain Hody put us in charge of."

"We are still waiting for our leader, but in the meantime we should to discuss recent events." Vodka spoke up, leaning against the wall. "As we all know, Jimmy Kudo has been detained, and is currently at our stronghold...and while complete implantation was already supposed to have happened...Lupin has provided a minor set back."

"Also, all of our hostages have escaped." Daruma pointed out. "But still...now that we have Kudo, we really didn't need them did we?"

"It doesn't matter if the hostages are free, what is important is concealing that information from Kudo." Korn explained, not looking up from his book. "Currently, we are in a position of power because we have Kudo, with him believing that his friends and family are dead. The only thing we have to discuss at this point is how we recapture the hostages, and whether or not we should immediately dispose of Kudo."

"We should kill him now, while we have the chance!" BlueJam proclaimed.

"No." A new voice entered the room, and the Black Organization members immediately straightened themselves at the taller person who came in from behind the snotty boy. The two people who walked in were none other than 'Terada', or Stelly as Sabo knew him as, and the Black Organization leader. Stelly smirked, it had been him who had spoke after all. "As the leading members of this plan, we have decided that killing Kudo would be no good."

"Leader...are you sure about this" Vermouth asked intently.

"Yes." The person stated, sitting down. "While we have Kudo in our hands, the truth of the matter is...the battle's shifted for being between us and Kudo, and it's become between us and Lupin. As of now, Lupin has enough information and resources to dismantle our entire project, do not even get me started on how he managed to find all this out. Even as we speak, out international members are being collected by his INTERPOL connections, so the battlefield's been limited to Japan."

"Your point, big shot?" BlueJam scoffed, earning a glare from the Black Organization members.

"My point is, while we have Kudo...we don't have much else over Lupin. As of now, he has almost all the cards; we outnumber him, but as we all saw...he's already outmaneuvered us. He's on a completely different level than any of us have ever faced, I bet." The leader explained.

"He's no match for a fishman." Hammond snorted.

"Coming from the person who got beaten by one of his subordinates." Scoffed Bourbon.

"Why you-"

"The point is..." The organization leader interjected patiently. "Lupin's goal is rescue Kudo...he's not going to completely paralyze us until he's certain that Kudo's safe. Secondly, we can use Kaitou's infatuation to our advantage, which will throw whatever momentum he we gains off. Those are our two biggest cards, and we can use this to recover our position in Japan, and continue internationally a couple years from now."

"A couple years from now?!" The fishmen, pirates, and Stelly shouted.

"Yes...clearly this plan is too far gone to fully recover, so we obviously need to reascend into hiding for a few years, and learn from the mistakes we made this time. To the brave members of my organization...is that understood?" The leader looked to each of them.

"Yes." They answered instantly.

"Good. As for the rest of you, I don't expect any of you to follow, so you each are free to do what you want. This includes you, Stelly-san..." The leader looked at the boy, who was utterly stunned.

"But! But! Why?! Why?! Just because of a man in a monkey-suit?! That's why you're giving up, you coward?!" Stelly demanded. "How do you expect me to face Sabo alone?!"

"It is a shame that this partnership ended the way it did, but all of you must agree...splintering was inevitable..we all have different goals, different ideas of what ideal is, and have different wants out of life. I think that we can all agree that we no longer have a use for each other." The leader said calmly, shoving back Stelly.

"Heh...no longer having to be restrained by you tight-wads? I like it! Last chance baby...wanna be my woman?" BlueJam offered to Vermouth.

"I'd rather be a corpse bride. Now leave..." CLICK! Vermouth drew a classic-looking black pistol from her skirt pocket and pointed it at BlueJam. "Before I blow you and your subordinates to high heaven."

BlueJam and his men whistled. "Too bad...we could've had something." He looked at the Black Organization leader, who was watching them intently. "Well I guess this partnership is over, if me and my men see you on the battlefield...it'll be your last."

"That goes double for us." Hyouzo stated, the fishmen had stood up, obviously ready to leave. "Our captain wil be pleased to know we no longer have a use for you."

The Black Organization leader nodded. "So it's agreed...there are no longer alliances in this war...just axis powers. But before all of you go...I have tribute to give to you both of your crews, to show there were no hard feelings, and this was all business. What do you say?"

BlueJam smirked. "You may be a bastard, but I have to say...your talk has never been cheap."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Aoko Nakamori was scared, everything was happening so quickly. At one moment, she was sharing in an honor with her father in an achievement he had worked his entire career to accomplish, and the next...she and her father a brutally separated. Currently, there was a nasty woman who called herself 'Chinanti' watching her, in a semi-luxurious hotel room not far from the unveiling ceremony sight. She was utterly confused, why were she and her father in trouble? It wasn't her father's fault that Lupin showed up.

**RING! RING!**

Aoko's ears perked up when a familiar childhood song hit her ears, and she looked to see the Chianti-woman reading over a text message. The woman snapped the phone shut and smirked. "Finally! Dumped the bastards! Now we can continue moving on with the plan!" She turned to the younger female. "Let's go, the boss has decided what he wants to do with you."

Aoko frowned and responded, trying to be brave. "Where is my father?"

"Doesn't matter, let's go." She repeated.

"It does matter! Where is my father?! Why are you people blaming us for this?!" Aoko screeched, throwing her arm out.

"Hehe...you trying to get rebellious on me, little girl?" Chianti grinned, and reached into her pocket, pulling out a pistol.

Aoko's eyes widened as the woman pointed the weapon at her. "You wouldn't-"

"While the boss may say we need you alive at the moment, that person didn't say how alive you had to look. I'm pretty sure your boyfriend would come regardless if you were a corpse or not." Chianti loved that look of fear in the girl's eyes. "Besides...if you died, what's going to happen to your father?"

Forgetting the confusing comment about a boyfriend, Aoko sputtered. "Where is-"

"If you don't want to find out the hard way, then get moving." Chianti grinned and set the trigger. "It'll only take one pull."

**Review please! PM or review any questions you may have!**


	19. Swimming through the Rip Current

**Hey guys! I'm back! At long last! I'm sorry...after I edited my second book, I went through writing detox, meaning I took a break from story writing and simply worked on writing for my job, so yeah...I became a lazy hermit. Sorry about that. Anyways, to make up for this, I can promise you that for this week and next week there will be an update, and hopefully there will be regular updates after that. **

**So to make up for it, this chapter is extra long!**

**So as an overview, the Black Organization leader will be revealed in this chapter, and I will comment about why I chose this character at the end of the chapter. But before then, read, enjoy, review!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Case Closed or One Piece**

Aoko sniffled as she heard the clock tick by her. After being forced into a town car, she had been driven to a manor somewhere in the upper-crust area of Tokyo, and had been forced to wait in this room. She had been placed in this room over half an hour ago, and she had been given no update on her father, or anything about the situation. That Chianti-woman who was with her had long-since disappeared, and she was getting anxious in her empty bedroom.

**KNOCK! KNOCK!**

"Hello? May I come in?" An unfamiliar male voice asked from behind the door.

Aoko was hesitant before responding. "Yes…you may come in."

The door creaked open, and in-stepped a bowel-shaped black-haired kid she didn't recognize. He smiled pleasantly at her before talking again. "Hello, I am Terada, I am the fiance' of the daughter of this manor; welcome to the Sebastian estate. It's currently being taken over by the BlueJam pirates; the fishmen got bored of this place pretty easily and opted for that closed aquarium."

Aoko was silent form a moment before responding. "Why was I brought here?"

"It's rude not to introduce yourself Ms. Nakamori." The boy's voice didn't change, but the tone certainly lowered. "Please keep in mind where you are, your common-class manners aren't appreciated."

"Kidnapping is hardly etiquette!" The girl snapped.

"Kidnapping? It's hardly appropriate for a possible traitor to indicate such a heinous act." Terada replied.

"Traitor? What are you talking about?" She blinked.

"It has been said that your father had orchestrated Kaitou Kid's escape, and additionally…there is a possible illicit liaison between you and this criminal." Terada smirked.

"WHAT?! THAT'S CRAZY!" Aoko shouted. "How could anyone even think that?! My dad's spent practically his whole career to catch Kaitou, why would he let him escape?!"

"I obviously can't say the real reason, but I can only guess: to insure that he made his mark in his career, to insure his fame, and to insure he would get credit for the capture of the century. Those would be motivations to put up the rouse of a long-time struggle, but it wouldn't make sense to allow Kaitou Kid to escape, which brings you up." He walked around the bedroom casually, sitting on a chair.

"What do you mean?" Aoko asked.

"You are child-hood friends with your schoolmate, Kaitou Kuroba, correct?" The boy asked.

"What about him…?" Aoko had no idea where it was going.

"Tell me…were you aware that his father was the original Kaitou?" Terada smirked.

Silence overtook the room for a moment. "What…?"

"Oh…you didn't know it appears." Terada continued. "It appears as though Kuroba-kun's parents had died sometime in his early childhood, and his father's friend had raised him along with his butler; I believe you know Jii-san."

"Yeah, I know that." Aoko knew at least that part of his childhood; Kuroba never liked talking of his family as long as she knew him. Jii had always encouraged their relationship, and often scolded Kaitou if he got too blunt with her.

"Well it appears as though, his father died to the same organization, which inspired Kuroba-kun to take up the place as Kaitou. Jii-san has been his guide and mentor throughout it all, however, what you didn't know it appears was that Jii-san and Kuroba-kun's father were skilled magicians." He explained.

"He…told me that he learned magic from his father and Jii." Aoko confirmed. "But as far as the magic thief-things go, he didn't tell me. Kaitou-kun's a very private person, but he and I have known each other for a long time, and there isn't much he doesn't tell me. So I can't say I believe you about anything with this."

"I thought you might say that, but I'd like to point out several things to you: for one thing, is he ever there when a Kaitou-thievery is announced? Does he show up after the thief escapes? Does he argue with your father about Kaitou? And finally: did he answer your calls in the last few days, or when your dad first received the announcements of his honor?" Terada pointed out.

The girl was about to argue, but she found herself unable to; there was nothing she could contradict with otherwise of what this man was saying. But there was no way it was true, right? If Kaitou was Kaitou Kid, then he would've told her…right? Aoko slowly felt herself getting angrier as the pieces started forming together in her mind. "Regardless of that, what makes you think my father would sink his own career by letting that phantom theif go?"

"Because you're in love with him, and he loves you, correct?" Terada sneered.

"WHAT?!" Aoko shouted. "Whether or not he's my childhood friend, the answer's NO! Completely! Besides…if what you're saying is true about Kuroba…it'd be hard for me to accept him."

"I see…well regardless of what you or your father's actual involvement is, the damage has been done, Lupin the II is now involved, and justice must be served one way or another." The boy shrugged.

"What's going to happen to us? What'll happen to my father?" She asked, changing the subject.

"That all depends on you. Cooperate with us, and nothing will happen to him, make things difficult, and it's not going to be particularly pleasant for you." He explained. "In charge of your interrogation, will be Captain BlueJam, and you will be guarded under his pirate crew until further notice. Your father will be under the New Fishmen army's imprisonment until further notice."

KNOCK! KNOCK!

"Come in." Terada smirked.

"Out yah bratty-Stelly, I want some alone time with my new woman." Aoko looked horrified at the pot belly man in front of her. He was bald, his teeth were spaced out and had an extremely gruff appearance to him.

"Don't call me that here!" The other occupant hissed.

Aoko turned her attention back to the boy, and pleaded. "You're not going to leave me alone with him, are you?!"

"I have no interest in commoners." Stelly scoffed before heading to the door. "Try not to mess up the room too much you hoodlum."

As Stelly walked out the door, that left Aoko with a hungry-looking BlueJam. The old man smirked before walking over to wine cabinet and grabbing himself a sake bottle. He gulped some down and offered Aoko a taste. "No thank you." She shook her head.

"Try not to look so frightened lass." BlueJam chuckled.

"Where's my father?" Aoko tried to ask again.

"Funny you should ask that, cause I do know where he is, and I could provide you the means to save him, but we need to have an arrangement between us to be settled." He took a step towards her, and Aoko put a chair in front of her, taking a step back. BlueJam frowned. "Don't struggle too much lass, I'm a very impatient man, and when I get irritated, people tend to lose their lives."

Aoko glared, standing her ground. "Please leave me alone."

BlueJam sighed. "Look, I didn't want it come down to this, but…if you don't cooperate you won't find out any information on your father, but if you agree to the requirements to be my woman…then you will receive the benefits of such."

The girl turned her head away, as if ready to puke.

BlueJam smirked and turned towards the door. "My entire crew has taken over this mansion, so if you try to escape, the results won't be pretty. I will give you one hour to decide my proposition. Until then…lassie."

**With Detective Nakamori**

Detective Ginzo Nakamori was officially having the worst moment of his life right now. At one moment, he's on top of the world about to unveil Kaitou Kid, the thief he had chased throughout his career, and next…he was now in a metropolitan police prison, guarded by these fishmen yakuza. He glared harshly at the yellow giraffe-neck fishman standing over him; the creature smirked down at him in amusement at the bound human.

"Don't give me attitude lowly creature, be glad that I've been ordered to resist beating you." He snorted.

"Who are you any ways?" Nakamori snorted.

"Hammond. One of Captain Hody's commanders." He answered proudly.

Sighing at the answer, Detective Nakamori continued his questioning. "Okay…who is Hody-san?"

SMACK!

Smacking the man with the handle of his gun, Hammond glowered down at him. "That's Captain Hody to you, and he is the greatest man alive! A man who isn't afraid to prove his principles and follow his heart!"

The detective sighed, feeling the familiar feeling of dread he felt when dealing with fanatics. He hated dealing with activists, but it would seem he was now on the other end of the handcuffs. "That's good for him, but that doesn't mean we have to beat people up does it?" "You're right, I don't have to. I just want to." Hammond raised the weapon up again. sensing a beating, Nakamori exclaimed: "WAIT! Please…where's my daughter? I haven't seen Aoko since Kaitou's escape."

"Yes…that little incident will require maintenance. It will also require a certain amount of penance, I hope you realize." Hammond chuckled, making the detective's blood run cold. "You can't mean…" Nakamori suddenly felt sick at the possibilities going through his head. Where the hell was his daughter?! What was happening to her?! "WHERE IS SHE?! TELL ME!"

"HAHAHA! That's a great expression! The enraged look and the helpless trembling, I love it! Reminds me of the Slave Tank." Hammond laughed a loud at the man's furious expression. "Kaitou's escape is falling on your shoulders so the higher humans can avoid blame, and your daughter was traded off to out human business partners because we didn't need her. Probably under that fat human captain now!"

"YOU BASTARDS!" Nakamori managed to launch himself from the floor into Hammond's stomach, causing the man to gasp and drop his weapon. Nakamori ignored the item and did the only thing he could do with his arms and legs bound, bit down hard on Hammond's shoulder.

"DOWN! DAMN HUMAN!" Hammond sent a harsh punch to Nakamori, sending him to the floor. The detective now had blood coming from his mouth and nose, evidence as to what he just felt was not merely a yakuza with body enhancements. Hammond was something that definitely was not human.

"What the hell are you…?" Nakamori grumbled.

Smirking, Hammond pulled out a sword and kneeled down to the man's level; he positioned the sword directly to impale the man's head. "I am a fishman pathetic human, a species ten times stronger and faster than your inferior race, and we will be glad to make this universe our home. Our kind may be satisfied with being subservient in our world, but we will not! Captain Hody would never let us fall to humans!"

Nakamori merely glared. "I don't know what all that means, but…it's not the species that makes the inferior or superior, it's the scum representing the race that does." Hammond frowned at the response. "You do anything to Aoko, and I promise you will regret it. I'll come back from the grave if I have to! But you will pay!"

"Heh…I may get scolded for this later, but…" Hammond tightened his grip on his sword. "I personally don't see any need for you anymore."

Nakamori shut his eyes and waited for the pain to come, he refused to have Hammond's sneering eyes to be the last thing he saw.

**KNOCK! KNOCK!**

"What the…" Hammond got up from his position over the human and carefully walked to the door of the police station. "Who is it?"

"Special Delivery! From Captain Hody!" A cheerful voice replied.

"Wha…the Captain didn't tell me anything about-" Hammond opened the door to see a bunch of red and gold colored balloons, and they were immediately shoved in his face. "What the?!"

**POP!**

Hammond dropped to the ground, having one of them pop in his ear, followed by several other loud pops. The fishman opened his eyes and unclamped his ears, and looked to where Nakamori is, only to see that he was no longer the only human there.

Lupin the III smirked at the shocked fishman, and gave a mocking salute. "Hello Hammond-san…nice weather we're having!"

Hammond and Nakamori's eyes widened considerably at the man. Nakamori tried to stutter a response. "Y-You're…"

"Oh! You're still down there, aren't you?" Lupin acknowledged and stood the man up, only to shove him to the other side of the room. "Nothing personal, but I got take care of this guy real quick! Cooperate and you get to find your daughter!"

Nakamori gulped and nodded.

Hammond was beyond pissed, and immediately took out his sword. "That's amusing, a human thinking he can best a fishman."

"I got past you with balloons, didn't I?" Lupin pointed out.

"SHUT UP!" Hammond charged forward, using his fishman speed, expecting to directly hit the guy.

Lupin merely side-stepped, and then pointed his own gun and shot several more bullets at the balloons. Particularly the ones near Hammond's face. "COVER YOUR MOUTH!" Lupin shouted to Nakamori. The stunned detective did as he was told, and awaited further orders.

Hammond practically gagged on the odor that came out the balloon, and felt his body become heavy…it didn't take long for him to realize it was sleeping gas. After sending one last glare to Lupin, he fell unconscious.

The thief smiled and walked over to fishman, rubbing his hands together. "Nice. These weapons will be useful!"

Nakamori blinked, and realized the fight was over. "HEY! What about my daughter?!"

Lupin turned to him and gave him the money symbol. "Don't worry detective, that's being taken care of.

**Sebastian Manor**

Aoko backed herself up against the wall as best as she could; anything to separate her and the bearded pervert would be acceptable. She turned her face away from him, trying to hide her trembling and tears.

BlueJam smirked at the trembling girl, feeling himself getting more excited by the second. "Remember our agreement right?"

Aoko willed herself to nod.

"Good. Then come here and start things, I'm the master after all. It's your job to take care of me." He said, sitting down comfortably in the chair. "Now come closer, my woman."

Biting her lip, Aoko felt herself sinking to the floor against the wall. She hugged her shoulders and hid her face as best as she could; she silently begged her father for forgiveness. She couldn't go through with this. Sex was only for marriage, she did not love this man, but more than anything…she was scared. She did not know much in the ways of love or relationships, but she did know that women should never feel scared or forced during these situations. Her father explained that to her, the teachers explained it to her, and even Kaitou explained it to her. She…definitely would feel safe if it was Kaitou.

'Kaitou…' She couldn't keep the tears in any longer, and started crying.

BlueJam frowned and got up from his seat. He walked until he was in front of the trembling girl; she was huddled n a fetal position, obviously trying to block out the inevitable. "It's a shame…with how much satisfaction I'll be getting out of this…it still won't spare your father. You broke the agreement after all, oh well…maybe he'll have a better child in his next life." Blue Jam reached out a hand to touch her, a sudden projectile flew across the back of his hand, and into the wall. Hissing, he pulled his hand back and saw that the item in question was a rose.

"Don't touch her." A hard voice growled out. BlueJam turned around towards the window, and smirked. "Well, well…if it isn't the Casanova thief in the flesh. I was wondering when you'd show up."

Kaitou hid his face under his tophat, he wasn't worried about concealing his emotion anymore, it was that he was sure that if he saw that bastard's face, he wasn't sure if he could stop himself from killing him. Kaitou responded again. "Don't touch her. Step away from her, and drop your weapons."

"Heh…sorry to break this to you lover boy, but…she already agreed to become my woman to save her father. She can thank you for that, by the way. If you hadn't escaped she wouldn't be in this situation." BlueJam slowly reached into his waist for a weapon.

"Really? Cause if I just heard the conversation correctly you broke the deal when she didn't want to go through with it, and you were going to force her anyways." Kaitou iterated carefully. "You're right this is my fault, and I take full responsibility. I was careless, panicked, and didn't take the necessary consequences I should have. As a result, Aoko became in danger, and for that, I promise to pay her back dearly."

"Heh…well boy, I wish we could work something out, but…" BlueJam pointed his gun at the white tuxedo man. "I don't see how we could bargain on anything here."

"Good thing, he won't be bargaining with you then." A sudden voice made BlueJam turn towards the bedroom door. He paled considerably at who he saw…even after ten years, he'd recognize that blue tophat anywhere. "Longtime no see…BlueJam."

"Well I'll be damned. You really did make it." BlueJam took in the blonde's appearance, noting that other than his height and light muscle build, the boy hadn't changed much. "So what do you think of this world? Porchemmy give you proper greeting?"

Oh Porchemmy? I would imagine that his body would be consumed by sharks now. As for this world- boring. But we've got plenty of time to catch up with each other, now don't we?" Sabo swished his cape, and revealed his cane sword. After getting a new weapon from Lupin's swordsman, he weapon was now longer, lighter, and sharper. There were several ftatures of the cane sword that weren't there before, but he wouldn't need them until the fishman fight. Sabo looked to Kaitou. "Take her out of here, we need to get moving."

"Right." Kaitou walked towards Aoko, and felt his heart crack slightly. Even though he was disguised, it still pained him to see Aoko was still terrified of him. Taking off his cape, he gently draped it around her, waiting for her to react to the material.

Aoko gripped the sheet and looked up at her savior. "Kuroba…is that you?" She asked quietly.

Nodding, Kaitou knelt down and took off his monocle. "Yes Aoko…it's me. Can I take you out of here? A nice woman named Fujiko wants to take a look at you."

Aoko took his hand and nodded slowly. "Okay…but my father-"

"Lupin-san saved him. Let's go, okay?" He smiled gently.

"Okay…" Aoko was still dazed and simply allowed her friend to lead her out of the room. Yes, she wanted to ask him about his side job as a thief but…she was okay and her father was alive. She could live with those results for now.

After Kaitou left with the girl, Sabo turned his attention back to BlueJam. "I've been waiting a long time for this. To get revenge for my brothers and revenge for helping my parents. You're a deadman, BlueJam."

Smirking, the man pulled out several combined flintlocks and explosives. "Then we be going to the grave together, boy."

**Elsewhere in the Sebastian Manor**

Fujiko waited patiently in one of the hallways for Kaitou and the girl, and felt a wave of relief come over her when she finally saw them. He was carrying her in his arms, and she had the cape around herself; she seemed to be unconscious. Kaitou ran up to her. "Where are Hattori and Matako-san?"

"Tying up what's left of the pirate crew here. It's not gonna be long before the fishmen get here, so I hope that Hattori kid gathers the evidence he needs here." Fujiko sighed, checking the girl's forehead.

"Where do we go from here?" Kaitou asked.

"You will be working with Saguru-san to investigate the Sebastian's involvement with the World War II scandal, while Hattori will be fighting on the frontlines." She answered.

"But I thought Hattori was going to investigate with me and Saguru was going to help with the hacking?" Kaitou pointed out.

"Hattori's stronger in combat, we need to place our resources where they're needed." She replied. Fujiko cursed when she heard someone coming their way. "Let's go!"

**Aquarium**

Things had been quiet at the aquarium, too quiet for Hody Jones' liking. He hadn't heard anything from Hammond, Domu, or the others, and it was starting to unnerve him. Sure, he had several of his troops here, but he was still here with humans, and one of them had artificial limbs that seemed to be at least twice as strong as natural human attachment. From what he heard, all the others were on their way, but he didn't understand why. Why were these Black Organization people suddenly backing out simply because of some thief? Was this Lupin that formidable? What were they afraid of? Hody scoffed. It didn't matter anyways…so long as he and his brethren took over this miserable planet, and show them who was truly the superior species.

"You seem troubled Jones." Gin brought him out of his trance. "Something wrong?"

"None of your business." He scoffed and looked to his other prisoner. Otohime had been unconscious for several hours, but had finally started to come to. She blinked her eyes several times before taking in her surroundings; she put her head down in depression. Hody smirked and walked up to her. "Still don't like the new universe, queeny?"

"…" She didn't look at him.

Hody glared and pulled his hand back to slap her. "Look at me when I'm talking to you!"

**SMACK!**

Otohime felt the impact but didn't flinch. She had long-since died inside, she hadn't felt anything since she had been taken from her family and had been branded as a slave. After that mark went on her back, she shut herself down and time simply seemed to pass by her. She didn't feel love, she didn't feel hate, she didn't feel anything. She died the day they branded her, and she had no interest of coming back to life.

"I said answer me!" Hody was about to slap her again, but Gin stopped him.

"Calm down. She's been unresponsive since you got her, correct?" Gin pointed out. "Beating her will do no good."

"What the hell do you care?!" Hody snatched his hand away. "This isn't your business, human! You cowards are pulling out at a new challenge!"

Gin didn't respond right away, but eventually shrugged. "I don't approve of violence towards women, regardless of the species. Have some class about you. And as for this new 'challenge', if you knew Lupin the III, you would know to simply cut your losses and regroup. Our leader did not count on him appearing, so we cannot risk going against the plan for now."

"What is your plan right now?" Hody frowned.

"To put it simply, the plan was to initially take Kudo underground with us, however…I have a different course of action in mind." He unsheltered a blade in his prosthetic arm. "You and your fishmen comrades are free to do what you want at this point, consider our contract cancelled."

"We were never under orders to begin with, human!" Jones smirked and pounded his fist together. "But now that you mention it, I have been looking forward to finally beating you Black Organization scum…"

**CLICK!**

Jones frowned and turned around to face Gin's right hand man, Vodka. The burlesque man held a large firearm against the back of Jones' head. "Try to act civilly here, won't you? This may be an aquarium, but it's still our hideout. Try to have some manners."

Jones swatted the gun away angrily and flared. "Why you-"

"CAPTAIN!" Daruma and Domu ran in to the room, looking frantic.

"What?" Jones growled.

"It's Tiger-san and that little human detective! They escaped!" Daruma exclaimed.

"WHAT?!" Jones exclaimed.

"So it begins." Gin looked to Vodka, who nodded. "Well Jones…seems as though we'll be sharing a hideout for a while longer."

"What?! Listen you human-scum! We are not taking orders from you-"

"We have the human, you have the fishman. Glad we have that understanding. Let's go Vodka." Gin stated.

"Yes." The man nodded and followed without giving the fishmen a second glance.

Daruma blinked along with Domu and looked to their captain. "Sir…what do we do now?"

Jones clenched his fists and turned to Otohime and smirked. "We wait. Tiger won't leave this hag behind; it'll only be a matter of time before one of them comes here."

**Tokyo Metropolitan Police Station**

"Okay great! Sounds good Fujiko! I'll check back with the others, but for now- send Saguru-kun and Kaitou-kun back to the magistrate! Show them the way, and have them make the connections!" Lupin was ontop of the police station where he rescued Nakamori; his voice was cheerful and his stance was confident. "So yeah! I'll contact our Goemon-san and Jigen-san to check how they're doin'! And-" The air around Lupin suddenly changed, and his eyes narrowed considerably. "Yeah…I'll call yah back Fujiko. Keep me posted on how the others are doing."

Lupin flipped his phone shut and turned around to see the other presence he sensed on the roof. "Ah, I was looking for you. The leader of the Black Organization, right?"

"Ah. That's what they see me as, I must say it's quite an honor to meet the famous Lupin the III." The figure stated calmly.

"You're too kind, gotta say that's nice to meet a terrorist leader every now and again. Reminds me of why the police is needed." The thief responded. "Anyways, we both know that this isn't going to be a pleasant conversation, so I'll just cut right to the chase. Where's Kudo-kun?"

"Dead unfortunately." The person lied.

"You'd like me to believe that wouldn't you? But if he was dead, your organization wouldn't be hiding underground right now, now would they? If you're going to lie, try to cover the evidence." Lupin gave a dramatic sigh.

"I see, you really are impossible to fool aren't you?" The figure sighed and took out a cigarette. "I would really hate to have to kill you, but I may have no choice. Even when we take Kudo underground, there's no guarantee you won't try to find us. It's a shame, but all the precautions must be taken."

"You're as paranoid as the rumors say." Lupin's smile dropped slightly. "So I know that Kudo's alive, I just want to know where he is. Think you can do that for me?"

"I'm afraid that's impossible." The figure puffed slightly.

"Because you refuse to tell me or can't tell me?" Lupin asked.

"Does it make a difference?" The leader asked. "I hate to do this to one of the world's greatest men, but I have no choice." The man brought out a modified flintlock pistol, and aimed it straight at Lupin. "We simply cannot risk it."

"I see…and I hate to do this to world's finest analyst…but I've got a friend to save. You of all people should understand. Okiya Subaru-san." The man's glasses gleamed, revealing his sharp eyes to Lupin.

**Review please! So several things about Okiya being the BO leader. First and foremost, I don't actually think he's the leader of BO for two main reasons: he was introduced into the series AFTER the Case Closed author admitted that he didn't expect the series to last as long as it did, and he admitted to already introducting that character. Secondly, even though he described the BO leader's profile, or at least what's been revealed about him, he matches the profile too perfectly, making me believe that the Case Closed author is simply using him as a red hearing.**

**I chose him for the BO role because I didn't feel like combing through all the episodes and identifying the minuscule clues left throughout the series, so I simply put Okiya as the leader because he fit the profile, and Haibara gets her paranoia sense going around him occasionally. **

**Sorry if I disappointed anybody with my decision, but I'm sticking to it. Till next week folks! PM or review if you have any questions or concerns! I promise I'll answer this time!**


	20. Navigating through Hedge Mazes

**Yo guys! I'm posting early this week because I'm going on a trip for several days, and didn't want to miss the deadline. I hope you guys enjoy!**

**Read, enjoy, review!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Case Closed and One Piece**

The fact that they were in an aquarium did not bother Conan, in fact, it made the perfect set up for what he was thinking. The first thing that Tiger and Conan had to accomplish was to find replacement tools for him to use, cause he knew that they would have his backpack and skateboard. The second thing they needed to do was rescue Otohime, which considering that she would be where the fishmen were, and that the Black Organization would be in to check up on him soon.

Currently, he was using a rusted nail and a strathened paper clip to undo the lock on Fisher Tiger. It was a slave collar from the Tenryubito, so Conan had to be careful as he deactivated it, but he managed to open the main compartment of the collar's explosive gird, and managed to disable it. After a couple moments, the collar came off.

"Nice one." Tiger was impressed, most people had no idea had to undo the mechanism on those things.

"Thanks." Conan grabbed it before it hit the ground and placed around his shoulder ismiliar to how he'd carry a bag. "We'll need this later."

The fishman didn't like it but agreed nonetheless. "Fine." He turned towards the prison door and cracked his knuckles. "Stand back."

"Wait! Only punch the door once, and make sure its loud!" Conan ordered.

"Why?" Tiger rose a brow at the odd commands.

"We don't want to attract too much attention, bsesides…if they think its you whose escaping, they'll send some fishmen. The more you can take out, the lesser it'll be a problem if we end up separated." Conan explained.

"Okay…but remember, I ain't your servant." The taller being reminded.

"Whatever! Just do it!" Conan hissed, hiding at the side of door's entrance.

With a tremendous punch, Tiger bent the entire door in. Despite being a slave for a number of years, he still retained his strength. It didn't take long for the firs response people to come to their cell, and as the boy said, they were fishmen. He recognized them as Nuru, Daruma, and Haisenbon. The two fishmen looked around the cell for only a second, and WAM! Tiger knocked them out with hardly any effort.

"Wow…you really are one of the strongest fishmen ever, aren't you?" Conan smiled.

"I still got it." He raised his fist. "Let's go! We can rush Hody when he's alone, and take care of any stragglers."

"No. If we rush the fishmen too soon, it'll become a bloodbath, which is exactly what the Black Organization wants. We need to keep this as contained as possible." Conan explained.

"If we hesitate too long, then he'll hurt Otohime." Tiger argued.

"Then we'll deal with it when it comes, but he's more likely to hurt her if he feels cornered. If something goes wrong, then we'll do it your way- deal?" The detective reasoned.

"I suppose…" Tiger sighed, and quickly lead them out. Since he had been at the aquarium longer, Tiger had a pretty good idea of where they were keeping Otohime. He may have been in chains, but he still had his eyes to look around. It wasn't long before he came to the room in question. He was about to go in, but Conan abruptly pulled him around the corner. "What are you doing?!"

"SHH! Someone's coming…" Conan looked intensely at the door, and his eyes widened when he saw Gin and Vodka walk out. He held his breath; hoping desperately they were going the other way. His silent wish came true and they walked an opposite direction, and passed several fishmen.

Tiger frowned at how badly the detective boy stiffened. "You going to be okay?"

"Yeah…just a little unnerved still." The detective boy answered. He took a breath before refocusing. "Let me go in first."

"You sure?" Tiger was hesitant in that idea.

"Just trust me." Conan walked up to the door and got the slave collar in his hand. As soon as the door opened, a purple fishman, a short red fishman, and Hody Jones locked eyes on him. It only took a second for them to realize who was in front of them.

"HEY!" Jones sprang forward with his fist out.

**BAM!**

Tiger appeared from behind Conan and punched Hody right through the metallic wall in the back of the room. Water started leaking in, indicating Hody had hit one of the tanks.

"CAPTAIN!" Daruma yelled. As he, Zeo and Haisenbow were about to go after him, Conan whistled.

"Hey!" They turned around, and Conan threw the slave collar at them. The little light started blinking, and- **BAM**!

The explosion knocked them both back; the slave collars were as powerful as they should be for a fishman slave. With the weaker fishmen knocked out, Conan immediately went for the chained queen. Conan was nervous due to how weak she looked, and quickly checked for a pulse.

Conan smiled and turned to Tiger, who was chaining up the fishmen from his own restraints. "She's fine! She's just unconscious!"

"Get the collar off and I'll get her down!" He ordered.

"Got it!" Conan immediately started his work at picking the electronic lock, careful to make sure it wasn't a different mainframe from Tiger's. As he was doing this, Otohime started to blink her eyes awake, and they soon widened when they saw some little human was on her.

"Who are you…?" She mumbled.

Despite the situation, Conan managed to give a slight smile. "Jimmy Kudo. The next greatest detective of this world."

**Sebastian Manor**

Stelly was practically pissing his pants at the beautiful woman's glare. At one moment, everything had been fine- BlueJam would receive that pathetic trollop, and he would receive protection from him and his crew. The next thing he knew, BlueJam's pirates had started panicking and storming the manor. Each had been knocked out and restrained; over half of BlueJam's crew was subdued already and it frightened him. So when he ran down the hall in panic, he was met with a furious Kaitou, and the beautiful female thief, Fujiko.

Kaitou had actually been the first one to pin him down with his foot. The look in the boy's eyes were furious, and he definitely wanted to kill the snot for attempting to pimp out his childhood friend. Fujiko intervened luckily, and made Kaitou drop Aoko with the girls, who were in Serena's room. Rigth now, Kazuha, Rachel, Serena, Agatha, and Eva were in one room acting as either comfort or tech support for the group. So now, here she was, holding this pathetic boy by his throat, contemplating the best way to dispose of him. But before she could toss him into a hallway mirror, he managed to wheeze out- "PLEASE WAIT! I CAN GIVE YOU KUDO!"

Fujiko had tightened her grip. "What do you mean?"

"H-He's alive! At the Black Organization's hideout!" He managed to get out.

"Where?" Fujiko's eyes hardened.

"Guarantee my life, and I'll answer." He felt elated at the sudden advantage.

Instead of complying, the woman smirked. "Sorry kid, but the only thing I needed to know was whether or not he was alive, and whether or not you knew where he was. Your phone can answer the rest." Fujiko dangled the phone in front of him, making him pale significantly. "Have a nice sleep."

**CRACK!**

With a slight popping sound from his neck, Fujiko dropped the unconscious boy, and started going through his phone. Checking his GPS records, her eyes widened and immediately whipped out her own cell, typing a text. She selected the recipients, and pushed the 'Send All' option.

She hoped Lupin, Goemon, and Jigen would respond accordingly. Their plans were rapidly changing, but they still had an outline to follow. She sighed, she decided to break the news to everyone in her area, and immediately went to find the kids, who were with Vivian and Booker, along with their teacher.

**In Agasa's Lab**

Haibara was nervous, though the work she was doing with Agasa was running smoothly so far…she had grown suspicious over the fact that no one had yet to bother them. That Okiya-bastard was not in Kudo's residence, nor did he leave any useful equipment behind. She sighed and went back to the task she was focusing on.

"Haibara, those whips and stunners ready?" He smiled.

"Ah. From Lupin's instruction, this should be enough voltage." She answered. "Due to water conducting electricity, it would be best if the fishmen were in contact with metal or water when these were used."

"Agreed. But we can only do so much." Agasa reminded. "They've taken back the Sebastian manor successfully, but Sabo-san's disappeared with that BlueJam-character. Right now, the hacking team, the girls, and the kids are over there."

"I see. So Kaitou Kid's rescue was successful. Is it true that Hattori-san was moved into the same unit as Kyogoku-san?" She asked.

"Yes. Fujiko believed that it would be best if those two joined the police and the government agencies to take back the city. The human end is being pretty well suppressed, but those fishmen are still a huge problem, unfortunately. Hence, why these are first priority." He answered.

"Agreed. Let me know when the work depletes…I need to see what stage the gateway was at before it was shutdown." Haibara answered.

"It'll have to wait I'm afraid." He sighed, blow-torching some metal together. "We still have to complete at least twenty sets of ammunition as well."

**RING! RING!**

"Oh, excuse me." He checked the number and saw that it was Fujiko. Curiously, he answered the phone. "Yes Mine-san…? WHAT?! REALLY?! WHERE?!" Haibara stared curiously at the man as he continued. "Yes! Of course! We'll work as fast as we can! We'll meet you at the mansion!"

"What's the update?" She asked carefully.

"…Jimmy's alive." Tears prickled Agasa's eyes.

Haibara's eyes widened, but then let a frustrated sigh escape her. "I'm going to kill him the next time I see him."

"Yes…right after I give him a big hug." The old man let several tears slip past him.

**Streets of Tokyo**

Goemon lead any body who was remotely good at kendo at the human pirates or yakuza fractions members, disarming them the best way he could. He found Kyogoku-san and Hattori-san especially useful, considering they were some of the only ones their who knew how to use a sword.

Feeling his phone vibrate, he frowned and answered it. Smacking an incoming yakuza member with a knife. Goemon smirked at the message; as usual their leader had been right about his assessment of the situation- Kudo was alive, he was imply hiding. He looked over to Jigen, who was reading the same text most likely.

**BANG!**

He shot an incoming fishman in the eye, and kicked it on the side of its neck as it stumbled down. The gunman looked to Goemon, who nodded in silent agreement. As soon as this area of the street was cleared, they would tell all of Kudo's comrades here: Detective Moore, Detective Meguire, the CIA, the FBI, the Metropoliton police, Kyogoku, and especially Hattori, that Jimmy Kudo was indeed alive.

**Metropolitan Roof **

Okiya Subaru had long since been considered a prodigy by many in his childhood. A prodigy in engineering, a natural born perfectionist, and an enigma in social gatherings he had always been a forced to attend. He used to snub other people; thinking them as useless simpletons who understood almost nothing about the world. What he found most amusing was the fear of aging among humans; they were all terrified of getting old, growing older, and ultimately passing on into the unknown afterlife.

He had initially started this organization as a science project, nothing but a social experiment. But when things developed more quickly, as he started to grow older, he found himself fearing the same things as those simpletons. He was also growing older, already in his mid twenties, and he was terrified of growing old and dying. It was a little before he started worrying about the aftermath of his death, that he had discovered that this fear was the essences of this current world's corruption.

As politicians grow older, as times changed, as technology evolved, as the older generations started to be left behind, they became desperate to maintain whatever influence they still had. They resorted to bribes, prostitution, under-the-table deals, anything they could use to gain an unfair advantage on their opponent. Okiya had long-since been a grand master at chess, he knew how to play every single game there was, but the fact of the matter was, he had been scared that life would win against him in the end.

Hell's Angel and the Mad Scientist were his greatest saviors and greatest enemies, dealing with them had really been making a deal with the devil. In exchange for developing that youth serum, he gave them complete control over what to do with the contents they had created. Had he not given them that, there was a good chance there serum would have aged him to dust. While only Kudo and Haibara had the liquid serum, he, Vermouth, and several of his other companions had used the facial cream that had been developed.

He had founded the fountain of youth, and to prevent the world's destruction, would force it upon everyone. He would be the savior, the messiah, the martyr, and the leader who would save this world from destroying itself. No longer would humans worry about destroying forests, no longer would humans try to have power over each other, because if people had the ability to choose when they died, they would no longer be so desperate to live.

Okiya knew this, because he and Vermouth had already confirmed this for themselves, now it was up to them make people see the light.

But first...this last major obstacle...Lupin the III. He had heard many things about this thief, but this was the first time meeting him in person. From what Okiya heard, the man had a weakness of women and kids, but had yet to be caught by any major network. No matter...he would be easy to deal with, and after him...he and his companions could disappear underground to dispose of Jimmy Kudo. They'd deal with Haibara later.

After the long silence passed, Okiya finally spoke, not dropping his stare or gun. "It is not too late to change your mind. You could take part in saving this world."

"At the expense of some small sacrifices right?" Lupin pointed out.

"It is unfortunate, but it is unavoidable. So long as humans fear death, they will try to take everything they can from life. If they are not taking, they are merely worshiping a false idol in the hopes of finding some meaningful salvation in life." Okiya answered.

**ZZZP! ZZP!**

Okiya frowned as Lupin answered his text message, and deepened when the thief's smirk widened. "Well seems as though Fujiko's got everything under control, I just need to tie things up with you."

"You honestly plan to arrest me?" The glasses-boy scoffed.

"No, I'm going to see if I can talk reason with you knowing its futile, while the reality is: just buying time for the rest of the team." Lupin laughed.

"You're allowing Kudo's companions to find him? Touching, but not very practical. He has no allies where he is, if the boy is not dead now, he will be dead soon. There's no reason to waste such hopes on such an impossibility." Okiya reasoned.

"You seem confident, almost as if you know the subordinates you left him with are going to kill him." Lupin pointed out.

"I would prefer that Gin wait for the rest of us, to insure there are no miscommunications as to Kudo's life or death status, but he most likely went ahead and killed the boy. But judging by the fact that Kudo used his prized weapon to take out an arm and a leg, he might be torturing the detective instead I'd imagine." He admitted.

"You seem to have accounted for every scenario it seems." Lupin observed. "So even if I were to distract you, it wouldn't matter in the long run, correct?"

"That is true? You could keep me here indefinitely and it would not matter" Okiya argued.

That was when Lupin's merry grin started to morph into a sinister grin. "But if that were the case, you wouldn't need to kill me off so quickly would you?"

Okiya's eyes widened when the thief suddenly rushed him and punched him in the stomach. Lupin then sent a tremendous kick to the younger lad, sending him several feet away. Lupin picked up the gun and pointed it at the assailant. "Okiya-san you indeed are one of the most intelligent analysts in the world, but ironically, it's always paranoia that clouds the intelligence pathway. But you see...you never count on the fact that your opponents may not believe you. In this case: you said that I could keep you here indefinetly and it wouldn't matter for the whole plan.

While I believe you in regards to Jimmy Kudo's life, Gin-san would kill him eventually indeed, I do not believe however, your comrades would move ahead without you. Especially not your executives." He knew he hit a nerve when Okiya's eyes widened. "From what your companion Vermouth told Fujiko, you are the type to be so paranoid, that you'd ruin a plan by overanalyzing it. Have to agree with that sentiment." Lupin smiled.

Okiya glared and stood up, getting into a fighting position. "You do not realize what you are in the verge of doing; I am this world's only hope!"

**BANG!**

A bullet went straight past Okiya's head, splitting the framework completely. Lupin returned Okiya's look with his own. "It's amazing how in two worlds, in two different species, that we find the same worst traits that we hate about ourselves. One of them being: arrogance. There are people like you who look down on others because they are afraid to level themselves with the rest of the world. So instead of humbling themselves, they try to force the world match their person ideal, without considering how other people feel about it.

You are no one's hope Okiya-san, just a symbolic form of conviction to the lost should you picked up. The world doesn't need to be changed, and you sure as hell aren't any god."

"So what do you plan to do then, arrest me?" Okiya scoffed.

"No. I'm not the police, and I honestly think the justice system should handle itself. Not to mention, I think its Kudo's responsibility to take care of his own problems. However...if I have to stall you here long enough for the rest of your members to be caught by the police, just because they happened to be looking for Kudo...I'd imagine they'd have quite a party going through everything in there." Lupin shrugged.

Okiya widened his eyes, realizing that the older man saw the one weakness he didn't in his plan. "All this time...you weren't trying to save Kudo, you were using him to corral us into a trap! Don't you care about whether or not he'll die?! What kind of man are you?!"

"The kind of man who plugs up the hole to negate the flood." Lupin smirked and readied the trigger. "Life's a bitch isn't it?"

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